KARACHI: Awami National Party president, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, Aimal Wali Khan, has said that present rulers have drowned the country in the tsunami of price hike and the opposition parties have planned to observe a black day on Thursday to protest the skyrocketing inflation, which has made the life of the common man miserable.

He also said that in the name of accountability the country was witnessing a ‘managed’ ehtesab because despite alleged reports of corruption in the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Peshawar, no one so far had been made accountable from the PTI.

“This is why now people have started questioning the ongoing accountability process.”

Aimal Wali Khan, who was speaking at ‘Meet the Press’ programme of the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday, further said that this was his first political visit to the metropolis, where he had come to participate in joint opposition’s public meeting planned for July 25 in connection with black day against skyrocketing prices.

He said the opposition was united against “anti-people” policies, “selected” government and other pressing issues and observing black day across the country.

The opposition would pass no-confidence motion against the Chairman Senate on August 1, he added.

Replying to a question, he said that the killer of the son of ANP leader Mian Iftikhar was not being punished despite the fact that he had confessed to his crime.

“Our party since day one believes in non-violence and continues to fight and strive against anti-country people.”

In reply to yet another question, he said that the ANP was against restrictions on media and anti-media measures.

“Although over Rs100 billion has been so far spent on Peshawar BRT, initially the project [was of] Rs10 to Rs12bn, and the Asian Development Bank has also released a report against the BRT, but so far no notice has been taken by NAB.”

Earlier talking to officials of the KPC, he said that the ANP did not believe in hereditary politics.

He said he was not made KP chapter president of ANP because his father, his grandfather or his great grandfather had led the party, but because one time or the other he took part in politics as a party worker and after serving the party as a joint secretary, deputy secretary and acting general secretary, he was elected president of KP chapter of the party.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2019