ANP smells a rat in Ramazan package distribution

PESHAWAR: ANP provincial President Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Tuesday accused PTI government of distributing Ramazan packages among party workers, voters and relatives of ruling party MPAs and ministers

Speaking at a news conference in Bacha Markaz, he said Zakat fund and Ramazan package was being used as ‘political bribe’ to oblige party workers and relatives, asking the judiciary and the accountability court to take notice of what he termed as misuse of the public fund. Mian Iftikhar said KP government had announced Rs10000 as Ramazan package for needy people of the province but the PTI MPAs and local organizations had given names of party workers, friends and relatives. “Ramazan package was meant for relief to the poor but the ruling party used it as political tool to oblige its voters,” he said. The ANP leader demanded that list of beneficiaries of Ramazan package should be made public and if undeserving people were provided the relief then the amount must be recovered from them to facilitate the deserving people. Expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order, target killing and fresh wave of militancy in the province, Mian Iftikhar said the PTI-led government had failed to protect the lives and properties of the citizens. “The nation could not afford fresh military operation or peace talks with the militants but the government as well as security forces must take sincere steps to eradicate terrorism,” he said and added that the federal government must review its internal and external policies. The ANP leader also said if the provincial government was interested in renaming the department it should be renamed after those journalists of the province who had fallen prey to terrorism and militancy. “About 33 journalists became victims of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2003 to 2025,” he added.