PPP leader calls for punishment to culprits behind Sahiwal killings

PESHAWAR: Member of the central executive committee of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Rahimdad Khan on Monday termed the killing of four people by Counter-Terrorism Department of the Punjab Police as state terrorism and demanded strict action against those involved in the shooting.

He was talking to reporters after a luncheon for the newly elected office-bearers of the Peshawar Press Club. The senior politician said that all those killed were unarmed and were travelling along with family members. Rahimdad Khan said the names of the CTD officials involved in the incident should be brought to the fore.

He demanded a strict punishment to the responsible people according to the law of the land and justice to the heirs of the deceased. The PPP leader criticized Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and said that foreign investors were reluctant to invest in Pakistan due to what he believed were flawed policies of the rulers. He said the PPP was not opposed to the accountability process but that should be across the board. “The rulers should have started it from the sister of Prime Minister Imran Khan, instead of making tall claims and implicating the opposition leaders in false cases,” he said.

Rahimdad Khan said the accountability should be initiated from Banigala by holding investigations as to how the prime minister’s sister Aleema Khan purchased properties abroad.

He said that increase in taxes had caused a price hike and made life miserable for people.

The PPP leader said the government policies have also affected the media workers. He said the rulers were bent on suppressing opposition’s voice and also trying to control the press.

He said an independent press was a must for democracy.

Rahimdad Khan praised the media role in highlighting miseries and problems of the people and extended his party’s support in solving problems of people and media workers.

The PPP leaders and former provincial ministers Liaqat Shabab, Ziaullah Afridi, Syed Ayub Shah, Zulfiqar Afghani, Zulqarnain, women wing leader Mehr Sultana and Farooq Afzal were also present.

Project employees want services regularised: The project employees of the Directorate of Tourist Services on Monday urged the government to regularise their services instead of terminating them.

Rahim Abbas, Raja Luqman and Mahboob led the protest. They chanted slogans after gathering at the Press Club.

They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands.

The speakers said that the government had regularised services of the employees serving in 58 projects leaving them in the lurch. The speakers recalled that they had increased the revenue from Rs8 million to Rs50 million annually but still many employees had been waiting for regularisation of services for three years. They asked the chief minister and minister for tourism to take practical steps for the solution of their problems.