PTI leaders conspicuous by their absence at Shangla protest

ALPURI: Many leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shangla chapter were conspicuous by their absence at the protest, which was staged at Alpuri Chowk on the call of former prime minister Imran Khan against alleged rigging in the last general election.

PTI leaders holding key positions did not show up at the protest. The protest was attended by a small number of PTI workers led by former candidate for provincial assembly seat Saddarur Rahman, Habibur Rahman and others. Many recalled that the main reason for this lackluster response of the PTI Shangla chapter to the protest call was the sagging morale of the party workers following the killing of two activists in Shangla during a protest against the alleged rigging in the last general election.

Some complained that the PTI-backed candidates, who won the election, did not address the grievances of the party workers and enjoyed the perks and privileges, which had demoralized the PTI activists in Shangla. It may be recalled that thousands of PTI workers had taken to the streets in Shangla and had staged a protest against the alleged rigging in the last general election. During the protests, two PTI workers were killed during a clash. The PTI workers were hoping that the party leadership would address their grievances after the formation of the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but to no avail. This has dejected the workers so they stayed away from the recent protest.