Pakhtunkhwa Jamhoori Ittehad terms federal budget anti-people

PESHAWAR: The Pakhtunkhwa Jamhoori Ittehad on Wednesday termed the federal budget anti-people, saying it had been prepared on the diktats of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to a press release, the Pakhtunkhwa Jamhoori Ittehad had set up a protest camp outside the Peshawar Press Club to register protest against the unchecked price-hike in the country.

The protesters were led by the convener of the alliance Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao while other leaders, including Afzal Shah Khamosh, Shahab Khattak and Ajmal Afridi, addressed the protesters.

The protesters were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the government for failing to provide relief to the people in the face of backbreaking inflation.

Addressing the protesters, the leaders of the alliance said that the budget would trigger a fresh wave of inflation in the country as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was acting on the diktats of the IMF.

They said that it was inflationary budget and it did not have any relief for the poor people, adding that they would continue to stage protests against the government to compel it to take steps for the welfare of the have-nots.

Criticising the government for reducing the budgetary allocations for the education and health sectors, they said it belied the claims of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government that it would announce health and education emergencies in the country. They also rejected the increase in the prices of ghee, cooking oil, sugar and other essential items and said that the budget would dent the purchasing power of the people, who were already exposed to a host of problems.

The government, they said, had been unable to honour its election pledges and implement its so-called reforms agenda.

They said the PTI rulers deceived the masses in the name of change as it was a ploy to reach the corridors of power.