Traders reject govt claims

FAZAL SHER

ISLAMABAD: Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajiran Pakistan (MTTP) Thursday categorically rejected the government claims that traders were responsible for rising inflation in the country.

Addressing a press conference MTTP President Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry said that flawed economic polices of the government and those who were sitting in the government were responsible for the rising inflation in the country.

“Sugar, flour and medicine mafias were not among the traders but they were sitting in the government,” he said.

He said that the government leveled allegations against traders to hide their incompetence.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan always talked about mafias in his speeches.

“If the prime minister has knowledge about mafias responsible for increasing inflation then why he is not arresting them to bring them before the public,” he said.

Chaudhry said that such hollow slogans of the prime minister would play no role in decreasing inflation in the country.

If government wants to control inflation then they should decrease prices of electricity, gas, reduce taxes as well as reduce cost of production, he said.

He alleged that the government had become a facilitator of hoarders and inflation mafia.

The MTTP president said that there was no need to conduct raids in various markets for price checking or decreasing inflation. If the government is serious then they should ensure sufficient availability of sugar, flour and other edibles, and we will sell it without profit, he said. He said that sealing and imposing fine on traders in the name of price control was not acceptable. About Tiger Force, he said that Tiger Force was unconstitutional, illegal force, and a political force.