PESHAWAR: Reacting to the hike in prices of petroleum products, electricity and other items of daily use, leaders of various political parties on Wednesday asked the government to withdraw the increase and ensure availability of all essential commodities at reasonable prices in the markets.

Workers of Qaumi Watan Party held a protest demonstration outside the Peshawar Press Club and shouted anti-government slogans for frequent upward revisions of tariffs of power, gas and petroleum products.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with demands for withdrawal of the hike, the protesters warned to block roads if the rulers failed to pay immediate attention to solution of the problems.

QWP Peshawar district chairman Saleem Khan and vice-chairman Israr Bacha told mediapersons that the prices of daily use commodities were frequently being increased since the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf assumed power.

QWP workers hold anti-govt protest in Peshawar

PML-N also held its meeting here to review performance of the PTI government wherein the speakers asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to admit failure in fulfilling his commitments and step down.

According to a statement, the meeting discussed overall performance of the government and said that prices of essential commodities had been increased manifold and no jobs were provided to the people during the past one year.

It was stated that Imran Khan had failed to fulfil his promises regarding construction of houses, provision of jobs and strengthening of national economy.

The PML-N leaders talked about prices of medicines, petroleum products, natural gas, power, wheat flour and vegetables and said that instead of providing relief to the masses their lives had been made miserable. The party asked Imran Khan to stop ‘victimisation’ of opposition leaders in the name of accountability.

Pakistan Peoples Party provincial president Mohammad Humayun Khan and MPA Nighat Orakzai in separate statement said that the soaring prices of essential commodities had already made lives of the people miserable and the recent increase in tariffs of power, gas and petroleum products would add to their woes.

They said that the increase in prices of essential commodities was a bad omen for future of the nation and country. They said that the people were anxiously waiting for jobs and construction of houses as announced by the PTI government. They said that PPP would hold protest demonstrations if recent increase in prices of different commodities was not withdrawn.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2020