LAKKI MARWAT: The Awami National Party’s Lakki chapter organised a rally in Naurang town here on Wednesday against runaway inflation on the call of party’s provincial president Aimal Wali Khan.

ANP’s district president Malik Ali Sarwar Khan led the rally, which was taken out from the party’s office and converged near the old railway crossing after passing through different bazaars.

Party’s office bearers and workers, local body members and residents participated in the rally.

Speaking on the occasion, Malik Sarwar, Farmanullah, Eng Latifullah and others said the skyrocketing prices of daily use commodities had snatched the two times meal from the poor. They said even the middle class was unable to make ends meet.

The ANP leaders said the surge in prices of wheat flour and other essential items had forced the people to commit suicides. They regretted that the provincial government has failed to ensure availability of flour and other food items in markets.

In Kohat, the ANP workers demonstrated against shortage of wheat flour and price hike on Wednesday.

A large number of people gathered outside the Kohat Press Club holding placards inscribed with slogans against the government.

ANP district president Dr Safdar, general secretary Syed Kashif Shah, secretary information Rahib Noor, former president Masood Khalil Advocate and others spoke on the occasion.

They said people were being humiliated while standing in long queues to get a flour bag, but the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and federal governments were not bothered.

They claimed that hundreds of thousands of tons of wheat was being smuggled to Afghanistan and the remaining stocks had been hidden in warehouses by the influential people, who the government was unable to proceed against.

In Lower Dir, hundreds of Jamaat-i-Islami workers staged a rally in Timergara despite rain against shortage of wheat flour and inflation.

The JI workers gathered at Ahyaul Uloom in Balambat and marched on the road carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the government’s failure to control inflation.

JI district chief Izazul Mulk Afkari, general secretary Hafiz Yaqubur Rehman and Malik Sher Bahadar led the protesters.

The protesters blocked the main road at Gorgorai Chowk for some time as the traffic was diverted on the Timergara Bypass Road.

On this occasion, Mr Afkari said the Pakistan Democratic Movement government at the centre and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab had failed to control spiraling inflation and unemployment.

He claimed government warehouses were filled with wheat, but citizens were forced to stand in queues to get a 20kg flour bag. He said both the PDM and the PTI had deceived the nation on mere slogans.

Mr Afkari said the daily wagers were unable to feed their families as the prices of essential commodities had increased manifold.

In Bajaur, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl workers took out a rally against price hike, holding the provincial government responsible for the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.

The rally held outside the Bajaur Press Club was attended by party workers and general public in large numbers.

The participants were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against runaway inflation. They also chanted slogans against both the federal and provincial governments over their failure to control the sharp rise in prices of flour, ghee, chicken, sugar, vegetables and other commodities.

JUI-F Bajaur chief Maulana Abdur Rasheed and others addressed the participants.

They said though JUI-F was part of the coalition government at the centre, they would continue raising voice against price inflation.

The speakers said the federal government didn’t take measures to provide relief to people. They also lambasted the provincial government led by PTI for its failure to curb rising prices of commodities.

The JUI-F leaders also expressed concern over irregularities in distribution of subsidised wheat flour in the district and its poor quality. They claimed the subsidised flour was mostly landing in the hands of influential people.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2023