Sherpao wants probe to ascertain authenticity of leaked videos

GHALLANAI: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said on Saturday that investigation should be held to ascertain the veracity of the leaked videos of an accountability court judge or else this saga could create doubts about the ongoing accountability process.

He was addressing a public gathering in Prang Ghar tehsil in Mohmand district. Commenting on the nation-wide strike of the traders, Aftab Sherpao said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had lost its direction from the outset and the rulers created problems for the people belonging to all walks of life due to its ill-conceived policies.

“The IMF-dictated budget has triggered a wave of inflation so it was natural that the people including the business community have opted to observe the strike to voice their concern over the poor economic policies and the budget,” he added.

Aftab Sherpao said the country’s foreign debt burden would reach about 130 billion dollars by the end of the current financial year due to the poor economic policies of the government.

He added the PTI government had surrendered the country’s sovereignty to the IMF by appointing its economist as the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan.

“This government is a threat to the national security because of its flawed economic policies,” he maintained. The QWP leader said that Prime Minister Imran Khan would criticise the past governments for having a jumbo cabinet but one has lost count of the number of the federal ministers and advisors of the PTI government.

Turning to the election in the tribal districts, he said the government should take steps to complete the mainstreaming of the merged districts.

He said that if timely steps were not taken to facilitate the people of the tribal districts and address their grievances, it would create a sense of deprivation among them. He also rejected the statement of the Election Commission of Pakistan that army soldiers would be deployed only at the sensitive polling stations in the election for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seats in the tribal districts.

He feared the deployment of the troops during the election would have a negative impact on the outcome of the polls.