Sherpao sees no relief for common man

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Friday said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did not provide any relief to the people in the recent budget in the face of skyrocketing inflation.

“The budget offers no relief to the have-nots,” he commented while addressing a gathering at Tangi tehsil in Charsadda district.

On the occasion, a local PTI leader Haroon Khan announced joining the QWP along with his scores of supporters and family members.

Aftab Sherpao said that the PTI lacked the ability to govern as the country was lurching from one crisis to another. “No action was taken against the sugar and flour mafia,” he recalled.

The country, he added, was bracing for the power and natural gas crisis due to the incompetence of the government. He predicted that the month of July would see unprecedented electricity and gas loadshedding.

Coming down hard on the provincial government, the QWP leader said that it failed to secure the rights of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

About the net hydel profit arrears, he said the province received Rs124 billion less from the centre in the last three years. He added the centre was dragging its feet to announce the National Finance Commission award, saying that the delay was hurting the smaller federating units. Aftab Sherpao expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and said the neighbouring country would descend into anarchy if the talks failed.

Criticising the government, he said it seemed that Islamabad did not have any strategy to protect the country from the spillover of violence from Afghanistan.