MANSEHRA: Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani on Monday claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s 10 members of the National Assembly were annoyed at the policies of their leadership, so they’re in contact with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for “future cooperation.”

He, however, declined to elaborate.

“We [PTI] will reveal details of these contacts at an appropriate time,” the assembly’s speaker told a public meeting in the Oghi area here.

Mr Ghani said PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan was committed to protecting people’s rights and ensuring their development, so lawmakers of other parties wanted to join the party.

He said political parties should prefer national interest to personal one.

The speaker said the summary recommending the dissolution of the provincial assembly had been drafted and awaited the consent of PTI chief Imran Khan for further action.

“As soon as Imran Khan gives the go-ahead, the chief minister will sign the summary for [assembly’s dissolution] and send it to the governor for approval,” he said.

PA speaker says details will be revealed at ‘appropriate time’

Mr Ghani called for early general elections as the only way-out to the current economic crisis, which, he said, was the worst in the country’s history.

He said after forming the government in the centre yet again, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf would withdraw all amendments to the lawsmade by the current ‘imported’ administration of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“We will revive the National Accountability Bureau to recover the national wealth plundered by the successive governments that will be spent on people’s welfare,” he said.

Local MPA Nawabzada Fareed, who was also in attendance, insisted that former MNA retired Captain Mohammad Safdar was making false announcements about mega development schemes in Mansehra district.

“Development schemes are not just about announcements but need funds for execution as well, but that’s not being done by the federal government,” he said.

WHEAT QUOTA: The food department has increased Torghar’s daily wheat quota from 23 metric tons to 30 metric tons for the supply of subsidised flour to residents.

The move will provide relief to the people amid high flour price on the open market, district food controller Amir Khalid told reporters on Monday.

He said flour was sold at the subsidised price of Rs1,295 for 20kg bag in Judbah, Dor Mera and Kunder Hassanzai tehsils of Torghar district.

“We’ll supply 1,050 20kg bags of subsidised flour across the district,” he said.

The food controller said two flour mills in Tanawal and Thakot area supplied subsidised flour to people by trucks.

He denied flour shortage in the district and said 455 flour bags were supplied to Judbah and Dor Mera tehsils and 560 in Kunder Hassanzai daily.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2023