TAXILA: A ruling party Member of the National Assembly (MNA) lashed out at the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Inaf (PTI) government for public issues, especially corruption, inflation and unemployment, warning that if the government failed to address these issues, it would bear the brunt in the next general elections.

Retired Maj Tahir Sadiq from Attock was speaking at a PTI youth wing convention at Hassanabdal on Monday. He criticised the government for failing to control corruption, inflation and unemployment.

“People are exhausted from the burden of food and fuel inflation and millions have become food insecure due to unemployment,” he said.

The PTI in Attock district is divided into three ranks: one is led by Mr Sadiq, the other by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and the third by Punjab Minister for Social Welfare and Baitul Mal Syed Yawar Abbas Bokhari.

Mr Sadiq added: “If the government does not pay attention to solving the problems of inflation and unemployment, people will take revenge in the next elections.”

The MNA said his Major Group was a political reality in Attock district.

“We had joined PTI in the wider interest of the people of the constituency,” he said, echoing the claim of Defence Minister Pervez Khattak who recently said the PTI won from Nowshera due to him (Mr Khattak) rather than Imran Khan. Mr Sadiq said people are fed up with inflation and unemployment. People of Attock would not be left alone and Major Group would raise a voice for them.

“If the government makes decisions against public interest, we will be forced to stand up and do what we should not want to do.”

He said four ministers had been elected from Attock but no mega project could be started in the district and no steps are being taken to provide jobs to the youth of the area,” he said.

But he said there was no threat to the government from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). The PDM is an alliance of 11 different ideologies that will tear each other apart in the days to come. “The PTI government is its own enemy,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2021