QWP backs traders’ protest call against high taxation

PESHAWAR: The Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) has extended support to the business community in its planned protest against heavy taxes and the ‘unjust’ agreements with independent power producers.

In a statement, QWP provincial Chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao said that his party fully supported the stance of the business community. He said that the QWP endorsed the demands of the traders, who were going to observe a shutter-down strike on August 28 against the inflated electricity bills, heavy taxation and the agreements with the independent power producers. Sikandar Sherpao said that the QWP would also stage a protest demonstration at Farooq Azam Chowk in Charsadda in which party workers and the people would participate in large numbers to voice their concern against the anti-people policies of the government.

The QWP leader said the agreements reached with the independent power producers were largely investor-friendly with no regard for the rights of the electricity consumers. He said the government was making the people pay for the capacity charges of the idle power plants, which was a grave injustice.

Sikandar Sherpao urged the government to abolish unnecessary taxation and provide relief to the people, who were already faced with skyrocketing inflation.He was also critical of the provincial government and said bad governance and corruption scandals had emerged which exposed the true face of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders.

The QWP leader demanded the National Accountability Bureau to investigate the corruption allegations that the members of the provincial cabinet, including the chief minister, were making against one another. He said that the ones, who had claimed to fight corruption, were involved in corrupt practices as the slogan of change was a ploy to reach the corridors of power.