PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Saturday said the coalition government would have to take steps to revive the economy and provide relief to the people.

Addressing a meeting of QWP central and provincial office-bearers, he said calling an election was not the solution to the prevailing crisis, adding the government should complete its tenure to stabilize the economy. However, he said that besides reviving the economy the government should give relief to the people as they were already facing rising inflation and joblessness.

Criticizing the former prime minister, he said the country would have gone bankrupt had Imran Khan been in power. He held Imran Khan responsible for plunging the country into political and economic turmoil, saying he violated the agreement reached with the International Monetary Fund.

“Imran Khan lowered the prices of petroleum products and electricity tariff after realizing that he was going to be ousted from power through the no-trust motion,” he recalled.

Aftab Sherpao said that though the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 15 seats in the Punjab by-election, Imran Khan did not relent in his criticism of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and kept putting pressure on the election watchdog.

“The ECP has reserved its verdict on the foreign funding case of the PTI so Imran Khan is exerting pressure on the chief election commissioner in a bid to make him controversial,” he elaborated. The QWP leader said that Imran Khan used the resources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to promote his political interests. He also expressed concern over the worsening law and order in the ex-Fata.

Talking about the party affairs, he asked the participants in the meeting to reorganize the party at the grassroots level by mobilizing the workers.

At the meeting a resolution was passed asking the Sindh government to protect the life and property of the Pakhtuns living in Sindh. It condemned ransacking the hotels of the Pakhtuns in Hyderabad.

Another resolution expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of previous lives due to the heavy monsoon rains in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It asked the government to assess the losses and compensate the people.

The meeting observed one-minute silence to pay respect to party leader Akhtar Munir belonging to the Hindu community, who died recently.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022