Pakistan Peoples Party leader Sharmila Faruqui questioned the Punjab government’s fear, saying Bilawal Bhutto had welcomed Sohail Afridi in Sindh.
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 15th Sep, 2026) Pakistan Peoples Party leader Sharmila Faruqui said the Punjab government mishandles everything and had unnecessarily made Sohail Afridi a hero in Punjab.
Speaking on Samaa News’ programme, she said the PML-N government mishandled everything and had unnecessarily made Sohail Afridi a hero in Punjab.
She said Afridi had also visited Sindh and travelled to every district, even addressing a few people in Larkana. Bilawal Bhutto had welcomed Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who returned after three or four days, she said, questioning the panic in Punjab.
Faruqui said that if the Punjab government was so incapable and continued taking such actions, it was providing opportunities to others.
She said Sindh had faced severe criticism but had not responded.
Prime Minister’s Coordinator Ikhtiar Wali said Sohail Afridi’s conduct was not befitting the office of chief minister.
He said Afridi did not appear to be a chief minister and instead looked like a traffic warden standing there.
PTI leader Shahid Khattak said Punjab, particularly Lahore, had become a police state and that Sohail Afridi’s life had been put at risk.
Speaking on the programme, PPP leader Sharmila Faruqui also said no ministry was needed to provide relief to the public on petroleum products if the petroleum and diesel levy was reduced.
She said this was a non-revenue tax imposed by the government to cover its deficit. If half of the Rs700 billion tax leakage within the Federal Board of Revenue were recovered, there would be no need to impose the levy, she said.
She said the dealer margin should also be reduced by Rs10.
Measures had to be taken in extraordinary circumstances, she said, asking where the customs duty and the Rs5-per-litre climate support levy went and what substantial climate-change work was being carried out in the country.
She said gas and electricity debts were being covered, while distribution companies were consuming public money. If the government made an effort, it could provide major relief to the public through the petroleum levy, she said, adding that diesel was used by farmers.
Faruqui said money should be recovered from those who had earned windfall profits.
She again questioned where the Rs5-per-litre climate support levy was going and said distribution companies were consuming the public’s money.
She said the government had created an easy way to take money from people’s pockets.
If the government wanted to provide relief, it should abolish the Rs80 petroleum levy, she said. Government ministers were fooling the public while sitting idle, she alleged, adding that reducing the salaries of federal ministers would make no difference and that downsizing and rightsizing would be necessary.
Speaking on the programme, Prime Minister’s Coordinator Ikhtiar Wali said Pakistan was not passing through an ideal situation.
The IMF programme, the rising dollar rate and higher petroleum prices in the international market were all non-ideal factors, he said.
He said the government had previously provided a subsidy of Rs150 billion.
Considering the current circumstances, including the petroleum price of Rs270 per litre, all factors had to be taken into account, he said.
Wali said the federal cabinet had discussed imposing a smart lockdown to reduce petrol and diesel consumption and cut government expenditure.
He said a smart lockdown would be announced, under which offices and educational institutions would operate for four days and remain closed for three days. He added that the government was also working on two or three other decisions besides the smart lockdown and wanted to minimise the burden on the public.
