SWABI: People from various walks of life staged a protest demonstration in Marghuz village here on Sunday against the government’s failure to control rising prices of essential commodities.

The call for the protest was given by local leaders of PML-N and Jamaat-i-Islami. It was the second such protest during last one week in Marghuz, the native town of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.

Holding placards and chanting slogans against the government, the protesters said the ruling party’s elected representatives would not be able to dodge them through assertions that prices of commodities had also increased in other countries.

The traffic on Topi-Marghuz road remained suspended during the protest, creating problems for commuters.

The speakers said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had failed to fulfil the pledge it had made about controlling prices of commodities in the country. They said the increasing inflation had made it difficult for the masses to meet the needs of their families.

TOBACCO GROWERS: Elected leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, including NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, were criticised by tobacco growers and their leaders in their meetings for their failure to come forward and helpresolve their issues, sources in tobacco growers unions told this correspondent on Sunday.

They said the farmers had attached great expectations to the PTI leaders, including Mr Qaiser, Shahram Tarakai and other lawmakers, elected from the area.

Also in the day,the growers who started their protest six days ago to pressurise the companies to buy their tobacco crop have completed preparations for staging a big protest demonstration in the district on Monday (today).

Meanwhile, it has been learnt thatthe multinational and national companies are expected to announcetobacco purchasing quota soon.

TEACHER KILLED: Raees Iqbal, a teacher of Government Higher Secondary School, Maneri, was killed in a road accident here on Sunday.

He was on way back home when his motorcycle collided with another bike and as a result he was seriously injured. He was taken to Bacha Khan Hospital Complex, Shahmansoor, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2021