PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has reiterated the resolve to actively take part in Azadi March, saying that people have become disenchanted with the PTI government.

According to a press release, he was addressing a meeting of party office-bearers from all over the province here on Monday to finalise arrangements for the Azadi March.

Aftab Sherpao would lead the convoys of party workers from Charsadda to reach Islamabad. QWP provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao and other party leaders also attended the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Aftab Sherpao urged the participants of the meeting to mobilise party workers to participate in the protest march with zeal and enthusiasm.

He said the government was in a state of panic and it could create hurdles to the marchers. However, he said that his party workers would attend the planned sit-in.

The QWP leader said that the march was aimed at getting rid of the ‘selected’ rulers and strengthening democracy. He said that the ‘selected’ prime minster failed to come up to the expectations of people. Mr Sherpao said that joblessness and price-hike added to the miseries of people, who also wanted to send the government packing.

He said that opposition parties presented four demands to the government that included resignation of the prime minister, holding of fresh elections, non-deployment of army during polls and protection of Islamic provisions of the Constitution.

Commenting on the prevailing political scenario, the QWP leader said that rulers were pushing the country to anarchy and uncertainty. “Economy is in bad shape. Investors are unwilling to make investments in the prevailing uncertainty,” he said, adding that government borrowed heavily, but it could not turn around the economy.

Mr Sherpao condemned the arrest of JUI-F leader Mufti Kifayatullah and cancellation of the citizenship of Hafiz Hamdullah. He said that government should stop using such tactics against the opposition leaders.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2019