PML-N protests price-hike, power tariff raise

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) held a protest rally against price-hike and recent raise in electricity tariff here on Sunday and demanded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to quit over failure to provide relief to the masses.

PML-N workers led by Ali Khan Yousafzai, Arbab Khizer Hayat, Malik Zawar, Fazlullah, Rashid Mehmood and Arshad Qureshi, the protesters holding banners and placards gathered near the Peshawar Press Club and chanted slogans against the government.

Speaking on the occasion, the PML-N leaders said the PTI government had made life miserable for the people. They said the unprecedented price-hike, unemployment and bad governance had exposed the PTI that was making tall claims of bringing reforms.

The protesters said the PTI government’s days had been numbered and the nation would soon get rid of the inefficient and incapable rulers. They said the “selected” prime minister and his cabinet should step down forthwith as they had failed to deliver on pledges and revive the economy.

Meanwhile, PML-N provincial general secretary Murtaza Javed Abbasi in a statement said the party workers held protest throughout the province against price-hike and unemployment.

He said the poor people were unable to buy even necessities of life due to wrong policies of the incapable rulers. Murtaza Javed Abbasi said how a government which cannot control tomato price would control the dollar rate and stabilise the economy. Imran Khan instead of decreasing electricity tariff and line losses hiked the tariff manifolds, he added.

Murtaza Javed Abbasi said former premier Nawaz Sharif generated 12,000 megawatts electricity during his last tenure, but the incompetent PTI setup did not utilise it for providing relief to the masses and instead put an extra burden on the consumers by increasing the tariff. He said the government should quit and announce holding fresh polls.