QWP leader asks govt to adopt austerity measures

F.P. Report

CHARSADDA: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Friday condemned the remarks of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) head Imran Khan about the dismemberment of the country, saying these were aimed at putting pressure on state institutions.

Speaking at a press conference in Charsadda, he said the former prime minister had lost sanity after being ousted from power. ANP workers Fayaz Khan and Rauf Khan announced joining the QWP along with their supporters and family members.

Commenting on the recent increase in the POL prices and electricity tariff, Aftab Sherpao said these steps would badly affect the poor people particularly the residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the QWP had joined the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to help restore true democracy to the country and mitigate the sufferings of the people.

The QWP leader said the government should adopt austerity measures and provide relief to the people to offset the effects of the increase in the rates of the petroleum products and the electricity tariff. “The government should reduce its expenditure to improve the economic condition and lessen the burden on the poor,” he added.

Aftab Sherpao said there were objections to the previous census therefore a fresh headcount should be conducted to carry out delimitation for the next general election. He said the recent delimitation had deprived the merged districts of their due representation in the national and provincial assemblies, adding that it would create a sense of deprivation among the residents of ex-Fata and create doubts in their minds about the outcome of the next polls.

QWP chairman also expressed concern over the prolonged electricity load shedding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said that though the province produced surplus electricity, its residents had to face long hours of power cuts.