When not in power: QWP lays into government for increasing ministers’ rent allowance

Sikandar Sherpao says PTI should provide relief to K-P, instead of protesting in Lahore.

PESHAWAR: Provincial chief of the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao on Wednesday criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government for increasing ministers’ allowance for house rent. “Relief should be provided to the general public instead.”

QWP recently parted ways with the provincial government – of which it was a coalition partner – over allegations of corruption.

Talking to reporters at his residence, Sherpao said the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) inflation monitoring report in November placed inflation in Peshawar at 14.1%, the highest in all provincial capitals.

Quoting the report, he said Peshawar, Mardan and Mingora were among 10 cities with the highest inflation rates. These statistics, Sherpao added, expose flawed priorities and broken promises of the PTI government.



He said the PTI should provide relief to the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) instead of protesting against price hikes in Lahore.

The federal government had made a 30% cut in the Public Sector Development Programme but the provincial government failed to raise the issue at a proper forum, argued Sherpao. “The PTI had not done its homework and has now indulged in non-issues to divert public attention from real issues.”

The K-P government has not been able to ensure good governance which was evident from its delay in forming parliamentary committees which are supposed to monitor the government’s performance. Sherpao added local government elections should have been held in the province by now; the delay showed a lack of seriousness over the issue on the government’s part.

Meanwhile, in a handout issued by the provincial government, a spokesman denied any increase in salaries of ministers, advisers, special assistants and parliamentary secretaries, and termed reports on this issue “against reality”.

However, the spokesman confirmed the government had increased house rent allowance of provincial ministers by Rs15,000 per month, however, less than the increment in other provinces.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2013.