DAWN.COM

CHARSADDA, May 15: Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao leader Sardar Daud Jan Akhunzada of Sholgara Tarnab and hundreds of his supporters and sympathisers on Tuesday announced to join Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf.

The announcement was made during a news conference here.

Mr Akhunzada said he had decided to join PTI after consulting people of his area.

He said he and his supporters considered PTI chief Imran Khan the only force in the country that could deliver.

He expressed the hope that people would elect PTI to power for good governance, peace and progress.

“Now, Imran Khan and his team should be given the chance to rule the country. Only he can live up to the people’s expectations,” he said.

Mr Akhunzada complained lack of civic amenities, including gas supply, in Sholgra and Tarnab areas inhabited by over 0.1 million people and said his party would address the issue after coming to power.

Noted among those in attendance were Haji Zafar Khan of Kango, Zulfiqar Ali alias Bhutto and Essa Khan. PTI leaders Waris Khan Mohmand, Fazal Mohammad Khan, Jehangir Raza and Inamullah also showed up.

Also in the day, Jamaat-i-Islami held a public meeting in Station Korona area of Sardheri in Charsadda, where speakers criticised the government over corruption, energy crisis, high inflation and lawlessness and demanded the holding of early elections.

JI leader and former provincial minister Sirajul Haq, who was in attendance, alleged that the current rulers had plundered the over Rs8 billion worth of taxpayers’ money and shifted it to their accounts in Malaysian and Dubai banks. He said the rulers were indifferent to people’s socioeconomic and security problems.

Mr Haq said the government worked against people and the country’s interests.

“The current rulers have given the gifts of excessive loadshedding, high inflation, unemployment, lawlessness and militancy to people. They have lost the justification to stay in power. They should step down for the holding of fresh elections in the country,” he said.

Mr Haq urged people to elect sincere candidates during the next elections, saying only they could steer the country out of the current socioeconomic and security crises.

JI leaders Mohammad Riaz Khan, Arshad Khan, Javed Khan and Qamar Jehan also spoke on the occasion.