Awami National Party protests price-hike

Criticises government for failing to fulfil promises

PESHAWAR: Dozens of Awami National Party (ANP) workers, led by office bearers and members of the provincial assembly, held a protest demonstration over the recent price hike, terming it an injustice with the poor masses.

The ANP leadership also announced a province-wide protest against the federal government for the price hike in daily commodities besides the government’s possible bailout package from International Monetary Fund (IMF) by calling it another ‘U-turn’ by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.



The protest demonstration was held outside the Peshawar Press Club on Friday. The protesters were holding placards while chanting slogans against the government calling the hike unjust.

Former provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told the protesters that the federal government had promised the nation that it will not seek any financial assistance from the IMF. However, it was now approaching the global financial body seeking a bailout package.

He stated that loans were received by previous regimes were per certain rules and regulations. He added that the incumbent government was now being turned away by even friendly countries since the PTI never believed in parliamentary democracy.

“Even the donors have refused to help them since the PTI does not believe in parliamentary democracy,” he said, adding, “This is the reason why Saudi Arabia and China refused to pay to the inexperienced government.”

“They are non-serious, the world does not believe them,” Hussain said.

Reiterating the oft-repeated allegation of rigging and engineering during the July 25 general elections, Hussain told the protesting ANP workers that Prime Minister Imran Khan was not elected by the public, rather the establishment and that Imran was more akin to a civil, martial administrator or an “Askari” (military) prime minister.

Hussain alleged that they [referring to the establishment] have adopted Imran and had opposed the entire nation.

“The selected prime minister has no capacity to steer the country out of the current crisis,” Hussain said, adding “everyone will be held accountable.”



ANP’s provincial assembly lawmaker Sardar Hussain Babak told the media that IMF’s bailout package was, in fact, one of Imran’s policies to appease his party members.

“Their [PTI] policies are against the interests of the country,” Babak told the protesting ANP workers, adding that the country was going through critical stages of its history and ultimately the poor masses overburdened by the government’s policies.

He informed that the general public will never accept the price hike and will continue protesting against policies of the federal government.

“This is just like a martial law. PTI is only a proxy political party and now the decision, being taken by the incumbent government, were not in the interest of the country,” he informed.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2018.