MANSEHRA: Parliamentary leader of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Sardar Mohammad Yusuf has alleged that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is trying to influence the March 31 local body elections by using the government’s resources without let or hindrance.

“Federal minister for railways Azam Khan Swati and other PTI lawmakers have been utilising the government’s machinery and resources to sway voters in the favour of their party’s election candidate,” Mr Yusuf told a public meeting in Ganglan area here on Thursday.

The PML-N leader said the PTI had suffered a massive defeat in the first phase of local body elections in the province and the results of the second phase won’t be any different.“Upset by record inflation, unemployment and recession in the country, the people won’t vote for the ruling party,” he said.

Mr Yusuf criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan over failure to fulfil promise of providing the people with 0.5 million houses and one million jobs and said the PTI government’s poor economic policies had pushed the country to the brink of bankruptcy.

PML-N claims ruling party will suffer defeat over record inflation

He said PML-N supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif would return home soon to lead the nation.

The PML-N leader said his party had finalised candidates for local body elections in the province, including Hazara division, and would emerge as the winner.

PTI OUSTER: Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Khan Sherpao on Thursday said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf came to power through a ‘stolen public mandate’ and was on its way out.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan can’t survive no-confidence motion tabled by the opposition parties in the National Assembly and will be ousted,” the QWP leader told a public meeting held here in connection with local body elections.

Mr Sherpao said the PTI had suffered a humiliating defeat in the first phase of local body elections in the province and was trying in vain to claim victory in the second phase.

“It doesn’t suit a prime minister to address election rallies in violation of the ECP code of conduct,” he said.

The QWP leader said the opposition would march on the federal capital on March 28 leading to the prime minister’s ouster in line with the people’s desires.

He warned that the opposition would resist any unconstitutional move by the prime minister and his party.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2022