ISLAMABAD (National Times) Omar Ayub, the leader of opposition in the National Assembly, slammed the ruling PML-N on Tuesday, denouncing the federal budget for the financial year 2024-25 as economic terrorism against the people of Pakistan.

Interacting with media alongside his PTI colleague Babar Awan here, Ayub highlighted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s admission of the IMF’s role in budget preparation.

He lamented that electricity rates were set to exceed Rs100 per unit in the coming days and the US dollar, which was artificially pegged at around Rs275, would climb to Rs300.

Regarding the cases against PTI leadership, Ayub said these were politically motivated falsehoods and only meant to keep former prime minister Imran Khan, his spouse Bushra Bibi, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other PTI leaders behind bars. He, however, expressed confidence that these cases would soon conclude.

Drawing parallels with George Orwell’s political satire ‘Animal Farm’, Ayub criticised the current state of Pakistani politics, charing the incumbent prime minister and his coalition of governing with ignorance of the challenges faced by common Pakistanis.

Expressing similar views, Babar Awan added that those who filed cases against PTI leadership were liars and dishonest. He claimed that attempts were being made to falsely portray stability under the ruling coalition.

Awan asserted that the path to a stable Pakistan was only through Imran Khan, equating any attempt to obstruct the PTI founder with destabilising the country.

The PTI leader also cited the United Nations’ call for open trials in Imran Khan’s cases, claiming that these leaders feared Khan’s public presence, stating, “His mere appearance makes their legs tremble.”

Awan also called for a high-powered judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9.