MINGORA: Scores of local residents on Thursday took to the streets against the increase in certain taxes and prices of several goods by the federal government and demanded its immediate withdrawal for the relief of the common man.

Led by the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party activists, the protesters gathered at the Nishat Chowk. Holding posters, they shouted slogans against the PTI government for increasing prices of several goods and imposing taxes on telephone and electricity bills.

“The PTI government, which repeatedly claim to give relief to the poor people by decreasing prices but it made a U-turn on all these claims after coming to power,” said PkMAP deputy general secretary and tehsil councillor Dr Khalid Mehmood.

He said the people of Swat suffered many problems in the past including militancy and floods but instead of giving them relief, every government had increased their financial woes.

“When the formerly Swat state got itself merged with Pakistan, it had a constitutional agreement that for 100 years, no tax would be imposed there, but this government imposed taxes on us,” he said. The PkMAP leader said new taxes on LPG and CNG would hit poor people hard.

The protesters also resented increase in the monthly water bills by the WSSC and said the increase should be withdrawn immediately.

“Despite taking huge salaries, the officials of WSSC have miserably failed to provide services to the people. They have failed to provide clean drinking water to people and removing garbage from Mingora city,” he said.

Anwar Khan, another leader of the PKMAP, said the people faced excessive power cuts and low voltage in Swat. He said after the supply of electricity had begun from Daral powerhouse, it was the right of Swat to get electricity from there.

He also said large-scale illegal recruitments were made by the previous PTI government in the Saidu Teaching Hospital and Nawaz Sharif Kidney Hospital and therefore, an independent inquiry should be held to hold the culpable people accountable. He also demanded merit-based recruitment there.

The protesters also demanded of the government to immediately regularise the services of the community and special police personnel saying the policemen have been providing the best possible services to the people of Swat for the last nine years.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2018