Government Passing Burden of Unnecessary Spending and Taxes to Public: Fawad Chaudhry
Mian Nadeem
Published September 11, 2026 | 05:00 PM
Petrol prices have skyrocketed by Rs25 in just five days, while poverty in Punjab has surged by 41 percent, according to former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry. He emphasized the need for relief for ordinary citizens instead of bearing the brunt of government luxuries.
Chaudhry, in his statement to journalists, highlighted the recent increase in petrol prices and demanded evidence of Maryam Nawaz’s London trip expenses, stating that approximately Rs62.5 million was allegedly spent.
He painted a dire picture of Pakistan’s food security situation, noting that more than 23 percent of Punjab’s population struggles to earn Rs8,000 per month.
The former minister argued for political, administrative, and financial devolution to improve governance in Pakistan, considering the creation of new provinces as a potential administrative reform.
He criticized the government for raising petrol prices, stating that they had increased by approximately Rs119 since January 26, and urged them not to solely blame the Middle East situation.
Chaudhry further pointed out the significant rise in electricity prices, which have increased by over 28 percent since February, with an announced 10 percent hike planned for the next three months. He questioned how the economy could sustain with commercial electricity rates reaching Rs140 per unit.
He accused the government of shifting the burden of taxes to the public, collecting approximately Rs2 trillion in petroleum levy taxes and billions more through electricity and gas taxes.
Load-shedding persists across Pakistan despite capacity payments totaling Rs1.8 trillion, Chaudhry noted. He added that the federal government’s operational cost had reached a staggering Rs750 billion.
In conclusion, Fawad Chaudhry emphasized that the government’s unnecessary expenditures and taxes are unfairly being shifted to the public.
