Rising inflation, poverty concerns of poor man. Rehman malik

Islamabad: Former Interior Minister and Chairman Institute of Research and Reforms (IRR) Senator Rehman Malik has said that the real problem of Pakistan is frequently rising poverty and inflation. He said that the real problem of the poor man is poverty and inflation which is increasing day by day and he has nothing to do with Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), etc. on which both the government and the opposition are playing their politics at the moment.

“I want to advise the opposition and the government to pay attention to the problems of the poor and devise a strategy to solve the problems of poor man adding that issues like EVMs should be resolved in parliament,” he said. He said that democracy means the service of the people but it looks like our politics doesn’t protect the problems of a poor man. He said the public should not be forced to come on roads otherwise there will be no way both for government and opposition.

Senator Rehman Malik said that the rupee is depreciating day by day and the prices of petroleum products have been increased by Rs. 5 per litter just today which will have the biggest impact on the life of a poor man. He said that he had been saying for many years that the value of the rupee could fall to dangerous levels so the government should take necessary steps but unfortunately today the value of rupee has reached Rs 170 per dollar. He said that he had said in 2019 that if necessary steps were not taken, the value of rupee could fall to 170 per dollar which we have witnessed today.

The former Interior Minister expressed that it has always been our problem that we do the right thing on the wrong time and the wrong thing at the right time; this is the time to end inflation and eliminate poverty rather than to raise a hue and cry over EVM. He said that both the opposition and the government should sit together and discuss EVM in Parliament and find a legal solution. He said that the decision of EVM could not be taken only by the government but the government would have to take the opposition into confidence. Rehman Malik said that he was the one who introduced EVM first in Pakistan because he had asked the then chairman NADRA to research EVM. “Our government rejected the EVM because the six countries that had used it rejected the results,” he said. He said that EVM would transmit election results through the internet which is not secure and we already have the experience of RTS. He said that the government should not rush into Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) but should work with the opposition to find a solution through mutual understanding.

Senator Rehman Malik said that at present Pakistan is facing various national and international challenges so the opposition and the government should be vigilant and united on national issues.

Responding to a question, Rehman Malik said that he has no differences with his leadership. He said that the party leadership wanted to see him in the National Assembly but he had set aside some time to write books so that the coming generation would be kept informed of the facts of the past and untold history. Responding to another question on Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan has played and will continue to play a positive role towards peaceful Afghanistan but the Taliban government should accept per the will of the international community to avoid further diplomatic isolation. He said the Taliban government should address the concerns of the international community regarding human and women’s rights.