PESHAWAR: Awami National Party has accused the federal government of using delaying tactics to release to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa its pending dues of net hydel profit and natural gas royalty amounting to billions of rupees, which could be used for initiation of development projects in the province.

Addressing a workers convention in Chamkani here on Sunday, the ANP central senior vice-president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had been in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the past eight years, but it had failed to raise voice for its share in the national resources.

Several other ANP leaders, including Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan, MPA Shagufta Malik, Saqibullah Khan Chamkani, Arbab Usman Khan and Arbab Umer Khan, also shared their views on the occasion, according to a party statement.

Hoti says govt failed to provide relief to people

Mr Hoti said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had made tall claims to provide 10 million jobs to the people and shelter to five million in different provinces, but he failed to fulfil his commitment.

He expressed his concern over increasing prices of essential commodities and said the PTI government was unable to devise an effective economic plan to provide financial relief to the people. He said the unprecedented increase in the prices of sugar, ghee, flour, natural gas and electricity had multiplied problems for the poor who were unable to meet their routine expenditures.

Mr Hoti said it was duty of the provincial government to raise voice for release of the pending funds at least to launch uplift schemes in the province. He said the rulers had no right to stay in power any longer.

He recalled that it was the ANP government in 2008 which offered sacrifices in the war on terrorism for restoration of durable peace and made hectic efforts for provision of facilities in education, health, road infrastructure and other sectors.

The ANP leader said his party had established quality public sector universities in different districts to promote higher education besides making efforts for provincial autonomy. He claimed that his party would win the upcoming local government elections in the province.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2021