PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party has asked the PTI-led federal government to take practical measures instead of wasting time on political rhetoric.

In a statement issued here on Monday, ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the federal cabinet’s decision about across-the-board accountability was beyond comprehension and many federal ministers faced corruption charges, whose accountability was impossible.

He said the prime minister seemed powerless and were unable to form the cabinet of his own choice.

Mr Hussain said the government was formed through a fake public mandate.

Mian Iftikhar claims many federal ministers face graft charges

“The people are deceived through cosmetic decisions. The government’s 100-day honeymoon period will pass but the people won’t get any relief,” he said.

The ANP leader criticised the government’s decision of converting the Prime Minister’s House into a research university and barring governors from using the governor’s houses and said such moves would create more problems and cause waste of resources instead of saving the taxpayers’ money.

He said the PTI had earlier announced the conversion of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s House into a college or a public library but it failed to do so after forming the last government.

Mr Hussain said the last government’s intention to construct a swimming pool in the CM’s House belied the ruling party’s austerity plans.

He said it would be a major change if foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi ensured the formulation of the country’s foreign policy by the Foreign Office without getting dictation from anywhere.

The ANP leader rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s televised address and said there was contradiction in the new premier’s words and deeds.

He said the new prime minister had been imposed on the nation by a fake mandate.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2018