SWABI: Awami National Party activists set up protest camps in various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday against the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government for its failure to control price hike, unemployment and corruption in the country.

In Swabi, the party leaders, including Mukhtiar Khan, at the camp said that the PTI leadership had failed to control high prices of essential commodities and now it had started telling the masses that prices of the commodities had increased across the world.

District president Amanullah said the people could no longer meet the needs of their families. He feared that the prices of essential commodities would rise further after the new deal with IMF.

Other ANP activists said that the best option for the ruling party leaders was to resign and hold fresh elections in the country. They said that time had come for country-wide protests against inflation and unemployment.

In Lakki Marwat, the ANP district chapter held a protest camp against price hike near Abakhel bus stand.

Demands fresh polls in country

The party activists led by district president Malik Ali Sarwar participated in the camp and raised anti-government slogans. Head of Marwat Qaumi Jirga Mohammad Aslam Khan and former tehsil nazims visited the camp and expressed solidarity with the protesting workers.

On this occasion, the ANP leaders said the surge in the prices of essential commodities was because of the wrong policies of the present government.

In Lower Dir, the ANP workers at the protest camp were addressed by their central vice-president Hussain Shah Yousafzai, district president MPA Bahadar Khan and others.

The speakers condemned the incumbent government for its failure to control price hike. They said the ratio of corruption had increased manifolds during the PTI government. They said the increase in the prices of petroleum products, electricity and gas had affected the prices of daily use commodities. They said poor people were finding it hard to feed their children.

In Kohat, the ANP activists at a protest camp demanded of the government to step down for its failure to manage the economy and control inflation.

The speakers included district organiser Dr Mohammad Safdar, members Kashif Shah and Rahib Noor Afridi, former president, Karak, Usman Khattak, Tahir Khattak, Qadeem Afridi and others.

They said the people could no longer tolerate hefty increase in the food and medicine prices. They demanded fresh elections in the country to rid the people of what they called the corrupt government.

In Battagram, a protest camp was established at the Khatm-i-Nabuwat Chowk under the leadership of Battagram ANP president Ayaz Torkhaili.

The speakers on this occasion held Prime Minister Imran Khan responsible for record inflation in the country.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2021