PTI stages protest rally to press for rights of KP

ISLAMABAD: Leaders of parliamentary parties represented in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly led by Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq on Tuesday staged a protest march on the Constitution Avenue to press for the rights of the province but deferred the sit-in in front of the Parliament House following negotiations with the Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif in his chamber.
Members of the KP Assembly hailing from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) started their march from the KP House on foot and on vehicles and reached in front of the Parliament House. The marchers, including female parliamentarians, were raising slogans for the rights of the KP province.
The KP government had announced to hold a march and stage a sit-in outside the Parliament House to press for their three main demands including route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) via KP province, due share of the province from royalty of the hydel power including arrears and end of electricity loadshedding in the province.
As the protesters were raising slogans, Khawaja Muhammad Asif came at the main gate of the Parliament House and took with him the KP chief minister and others inside for talks.
Talking to newsmen after the meeting, Khawaja Asif said the next meeting would be held on Friday in which issues relating to electricity loadshedding in the KP province, royalty from hydro power and financial matters would be taken up for their solutions. “The issue of electricity loadshedding and other matters will be resolved within a week’s time,” he said.
The minister said that the prime minister had convened a meeting of parliamentary leaders of all the political leaders to address their grievances with regard to the Pak China Economic Corridor.
Pervaiz Khattak said that during the meeting, memorandum containing 24 demands was handed over to the government. “Khawaja Asif has assured that the issue of electricity loadshedding will be discussed at a meeting on Friday while all other issues will also be resolved in one week’s time,” he said. He said the minister had also assured that he would also arrange their meeting with the finance minister. “We have been trying to meet the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and other cabinet members for the last three months but were not getting time from them,” he said, adding now they had got some positive signals from the federal government and notifications were to be issued.
The KP chief minister said that the protest march and sit-in in Islamabad was planned in the light of a consensus resolution passed by the provincial assembly.Senator Sirajul Haq told media persons that Khawaja Asif’s attitude was positive and he also assured resolution of other issues.
The JI Ameer said the minister had also given an assurance that the problem of power loadshedding would be resolved before the start of Ramzan.He said that all the political parties represented in KP Assembly took part in the protest march saying it was their democratic right to register their grievances in such a way.
NNI adds: The PTI lawmakers, however, did not end their protest following the talks, but gave a four-day deadline to the government to resolve the issues. However, the protesters were barred at main gate of the Parliament House where the mob attempted to cross the security barriers, prompting brief scuffles between the riot police and PTI lawmakers.Officials said strict security measures had been put in place to avert any untoward situation during the protest.