A PPP leader said the government had failed to learn lessons from previous tragedies, alleging that timely action following earlier incidents could have prevented the current crisis. He sharply criticised the federal health minister’s conduct toward victims’ families and said anyone claiming the tragedy fell outside the Health Ministry’s responsibility should resign. He questioned how Islamabad, a city of around three million people, could have two hospitals lacking adequate fire-safety systems, and criticised the formation of five separate committees to investigate the PIMS fire, questioning whether the government was attempting to dodge accountability.
Turning to economic issues, the PPP leader criticised the reported 45 percent tax burden on agriculture, calling it “economic murder” of farmers. He questioned the government’s wheat and sugarcane support price policies and the prevailing sugarcane rate, asking whether these measures were tied to IMF conditions. He also levelled corruption allegations against government officials and demanded that those accused face proper investigations rather than being met with abuse or political hostility.
Murtaza criticised the government over inflation, arguing that the recent reduction in petrol prices by a few paisas was insignificant compared to earlier price hikes. He also opposed what he described as the centralisation of local government powers through deputy commissioners and district police officers.
PIMS Disaster
The PPP leader demanded strict punishment for those responsible for the PIMS tragedy and called for the actual death toll to be made public. He said families who had been preparing to celebrate with their children instead received their bodies, and deserved a full account of what happened. He said the PPP was raising the issue of inflation and public grievances inside parliament, and defended political parties’ right to hold protests and sit-ins.
Murtaza also criticised the opposition for focusing primarily on the release and medical treatment of PTI founder Imran Khan, while reiterating that the PPP would withdraw from the ruling coalition if its Central Executive Committee decided to do so. He further alleged irregularities in the Azad Kashmir elections and claimed that political loyalists had been rewarded with technocratic appointments.
