MINGORA: Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah said here on Monday that Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf failed to bring changes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz could not meet its promises in the centre.

He claimed that people of Swat would reject candidates of both the ruling parties in the by-election that would be held on April 24.

Addressing a public gathering here at Charbagh, held in connection with election campaign, Mr Shah said that people were disappointed by the performance of government.

He said that those living in Bani Gala and in Raiwind could not realise the problems being faced by the people in remote areas of the country. He said that Pakistan People’s Party had always been with people at difficult times. He added that their politics was aimed at resolving problems of people.

Mr Shah said that they were playing their role in National Assembly actively as opposition. “We are striving to increase the amount of Benazir Income Support Programme up to 2,000 per month to benefit eight million deserving women in the country,” he added.

The PPP leader said that Swat was affected by militancy. “We never left the people of Swat alone at that time,” he claimed. He said that they would continue to support people in difficult situation as PPP was party of poor and it would struggle for resolving all kinds of hardships being faced by the people in any corner of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, PPP leader Senator Mian Raza Rabbani said that PTI and other parties made promises with the people, especially with the residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Where is the change and tsunami,” he questioned and added that the ruling parties forgot all their promises.

He said that people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa did not see any change in their province. The change could not be brought by slogans only as revolution and change needed a continuous struggle, he added.

Mr Rabbani said that PPP gave identity to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Our party is sincere in taking steps for the uplift of people,” he added. He said that people of Swat knew better that it was PPP’s government, which approved Nizam Adle on demand of people of Malakand division and announced establishment of university and cadet college there.

Shahi Khan, the PPP candidate for the by-election, PPP provincial president Khan Zada Khan and Shazia Aurangzeb also spoke on the occasion.

ANP RALLY: Former chief minister and Awami National Party leader Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said here on Monday that people of the province gave mandate to Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf, which could not act according to its manifesto to materialise the slogan of change.

Addressing a public gathering at Khwaza Khela, he said that PTI contested elections with the slogan of change and people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa trusted its leadership. “No other province voted for PTI,” he added.

Mr Hoti said that some forces were hatching conspiracy against Pakhtuns. He added that they would continue their struggle to protect the rights of Pakhtuns. He said that they had allocated Rs320 billion rupees for construction of small dams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The previous provincial government took revolutionary steps for the uplift of people of the province, Mr Hoti claimed. “We initiated mega projects during our government that were aimed at bringing development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he added.

The former chief minister said that people of Swat rendered great sacrifices but the incumbent provincial government did not recognise their sacrifices. Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl acting chief Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan said on the occasion that alliance of ANP and JUI-F would bear fruits. “We are together here for promoting political harmony in the province,” he said.

The JUI-F leader said that their alliance would remain intact for the upcoming local government elections.