PML-N activists in Peshawar protest price-hike, budget

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) held a protest rally against the government wrong policies, unprecedented price-hike and budget here on Tuesday.

Led by the National Assembly Chairman of the Standing Committee on Communications, Dr Ibadullah, Haji Siffatullah, Ikhtiar Wali, Arbab Khizer Hayat, Haji Afzal, Rashid Mahmood and Rahamdil Nawaz, the protesters marched from Ashraf Road up to the provincial assembly and chanted slogans against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

Addressing the protesters, Dr Ibadullah said the PTI-led government had failed to provide any relief to the masses rather made life miserable for the poor though unprecedented price-hike and imposition of new taxes.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan deceived the people thorough hollow slogans of accountability. “The PTI claim of accountability can be gauged from the fact that it closed down the Ehtesab Commission to hide the corruption of its leaders and rulers in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Now the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is being used against political opponents,” he said, adding, the NAB had shut off eyes over the mega corruption of Malam Jabba, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Archaeology Department, and secondary and elementary education scandals. The NAB, he said, should work as per accountability laws and rules instead of following the prime minister’s dictates.

He said his party was not against accountability but it should be across-the-board and without favour. The PTI government could be toppled within a few days if Mian Nawaz Sharif and Engr Amir Muqam gave a call to the party workers, he added.

In his speech, Ikhtiar Wali said the people were fed up with the policies of the prime minister. “The PTI leadership deceived the people in the name of change but PML-N will introduce real change in the country under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif,” he added.

Warning Imran Khan of launching a protest movement, he said PML-N would make Pakistan an Asian tiger and PTI would have no place to hide.

The emotional protesters holding placards and banners chanted slogans against the rulers and asked them to step down for their failure and destroying the institutions and making the country bankrupt. They said the nation would no more tolerate the incapable and inefficient rulers who had pushed the country 50 years back through its wrong policies.