CHARSADDA: Awami National Party central president Asfandyar Wali Khan has said that middle class is on the verge of vanishing owing to economic crisis and skyrocketing price hike in the country.

He was addressing a rally organised by ANP here on Sunday to protest price hike and inflation in the country. The party held rallies and demonstrations across the province to protest hike in prices of daily use items and inflation. ANP had planned protest movement before Eidul Fitr.

The rally in Charsadda was addressed by Asfandyar Wali Khan and MPAs of the ANP. A large number of party workers, civil society members and people from other walks of life attended the rally.

ANP holds rallies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against price hike

Asfandyar Wali Khan feared the worst economic crisis and galloping inflation in the country in future. He said that middle class was on the verge of elimination owing to unbridled prices of essential items.

ANP district president MPA Shakeel Bashir Khan Umarzai, general secretary Farooq Khan and others also addressed the rally.

Asfandyar Wali said that educated and salaried class was fed up with unprecedented price hike, inflation, unemployment and flawed policies of the government. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had no competent team to steer the country out of the economic crisis.

The ANP leader said that the price of dollar reached to record high level during the first eight months of the government. The burden of foreign debts was increased by $7 billion owing to depreciation of rupee against dollar during the PTI government, he added.

He said that Imran Khan could no more deceive people. He said that people would soon take to streets to get rid of the incompetent government. He said that ANP would attend the multi-party conference convened by JUI-F in Islamabad. He said his party would comply with the decision of the conference.

However, Mr Khan said if decisions of the MPC were not according to their expectations, then they would launch protest movement against the government from their party platform.

He said that instead of one chief minister, there were 12 dummy chief ministers in the province but still all decisions were being made in Banigala by the ‘Kaptan’ and his advisers.

Two rallies were taken out in the provincial capital. ANP workers assembled on Kohat Road, causing traffic jam. They chanted slogans against the government.

Another rally was organised at Chowk Yadgar and protesters marched towards Bacha Khan Chowk. ANP central leader Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour led the rally.

In Swabi, the rally was led by ANP provincial president Aimal Wali Khan. ANP workers gathered at district office of the party and marched to Karnal Sher Khan Chowk in a big procession. They were holding placards inscribed with slogans against price hike. They also chanted slogans against the government and district administration.

Addressing protesters, Aimal Wali said that government failed to control prices of essential commodities and the entire burden of inflation was transferred to middle and poor class of the society.

He said that PTI government concluded $6 billion bailout package with International Monterey Fund and received over $8 billion from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and China.

“This is the highest borrowed money by a government in Pakistan but despite that they are crying that the economic recovery would take about two years,” he said.

In Bajaur, the protest was held on GT Road in main Khar Bazaar that caused suspension of traffic and trade activities in the district headquarters.

In Buner, the ANP workers took out a rally and demanded of Prime Minister Imran Khan to step down over price hike in the country. The protestors chanted slogans against price hike. They blocked the main Chowk Swari for two hours.

In Shangla, ANP activists blocked Bisham-Swat Road at Alpuri. They chanted slogans against the government.

In Lower Dir, hundreds of ANP workers from different areas of the district reached Timergara in vehicular procession and gathered outside the press club. The protesters also marched on the road from the press club to Gorgorai Chowk.

In Kohat, the rally was held at Kutcehry Square that was addressed by MPA Sher Shah Khan, Sangeen Khan and others.

The protesters criticised the policies of the government and termed the price hike a result of the conditions imposed by IMF.

In Battagram, ANP workers blocked Karakoram Highway for more than one hour. The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the government.

In Lakki Marwat, the rally was led by former MPA Yasmin Zia and acting district president of the party, Fazal Rahim Khan.

The protesters said that the rulers lacked vision to formulate people-friendly policies.

In Swat, the rally was staged at Barikot Bazaar where ANP workers chanted slogans against the government and termed it a complete failure. They said that instead of bringing change, the ruling PTI brought unprecedented price hike in the country.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2019