SWABI: Actvisits of the opposition Awami National Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz staged a demonstration in the native Marghuz village of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser here on Saturday to protest the increasing prices of essential commodities.

They were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the government and its policies.

Addressing the protesters, the speakers said that inflation had reached such an alarming level that the poverty-stricken people had been virtually forced to commit suicide because it was not possible for them to meet the needs of their families.

Prominent ANP leader Akmal Khan said that PTI had been ruling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for eight years now, but during this period its leadership had made only empty pledges and did nothing for the masses.

He said that inflation continued to climb during this period and had reached to an unbearable point.

Other ANP activists said that they would now educate the people of the province about causes of the price hike and expose the government’s anti-people policies.

Local PML-N leader Rashid Sohail and other speakers vowed that they would continue to hold protests from time to time to inform the people about the flawed policies of PTI leaders.

Meanwhile, ANP district president Amanullah and Mukhtiar Khan said that they would hold a protest on Monday (tomorrow), as the party leadership had directed for holding such gatherings across the province.

They told mediapersons that the PTI had made it difficult for the people to live with honour.

They claimed that the situation had reached a point where people wanted to get rid of the incumbent regime. They appealed to the party workers to participate in the protests.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2021