MANSEHRA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarians central leader Salah Mohammad Khan on Thursday said that his party would launch its election campaign in a public meeting in Baffa town here today (Friday).

He told reporters at the public meeting’s venue that PTI-P chairman Pervez Khattak would formally announce the start of the party’s election drive and unveil the election manifesto in the Baffa gathering, which would be addressed by other central leaders of the party as well.

Mr Khan said that people were fed up with other political parties as they failed to deliver during their terms in power and left behind massive inflation and high poverty rates. He said that his party would hold public meetings in 26 cities of the province, including Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat and Swat, afterwards.

The PTI-P leader claimed that former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan had tipped him to be the next chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that he had joined the PTI-P as only it could address militancy in the country, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Mr Khan blamed the current political and economic crises in the country on the wrong policies of the governments of the PTI and other political parties.

“Our party is the only ray of hope for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for their development. Our leadership, including former chief ministers Pervez Khattak and Mahmood Khan, initiated mega development projects in the province, including Peshawar’s Bus Rapid Transit service for low-cost transport service as well as an insurance scheme for free healthcare,” he said.

SHORTAGE OF STAMP PAPERS: People on Thursday complained about an “artificial” shortage of stamp papers here.

“Vendors are selling Rs100 worth of stamp paper for Rs300 to the misery of visitors to courts for bail as well as domicile seekers,” chairman of the Safada village council Basharat Ali Swati told reporters here.

He said that the deputy commissioner should order a crackdown on artificial shortage of stamp papers.

Mr Swati said that the students, who required domicile certificates for admission to colleges, suffered due to the issue.

He said that the district administration and other authorities should cancel licences of stamp paper sellers over artificial shortage and profiteering.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2023