FAISALABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Raja Riaz Ahmed has alleged that the Prime Minister’s House has been taken over by unelected people who are misleading Imran Khan only for their vested interests.

Addressing a press conference on Friday at his outhouse, Raja Riaz said elected people had been pushed away while unelected people having no connection with the masses were ruling the PM house which was unfortunate. He said as part of a conspiracy, a toll collection had been started on the motorway and thousands of motorists were being charged daily on the Pindi Bhattian motorway. He said such conspiracies of the bureaucracy were going against the government and people were criticizing us.

Raja Riaz demands removal of toll point on motorway

Earlier, he said he had talked to Federal Minister Murad Saeed and succeeded to get removed the Pindi Bhattian toll plaza on the motorway a couple of years ago. The federal minister himself accepted that collection of toll on motorway was unjust with the masses of Faisalabad, Jhang and other areas using the motorway. However, the same toll plaza has been reactivated for a month and it is not yet clear what prompted the minister to do so, he dded.

Toll collection on motorway is the cause of inconvenience for motorists who commute on the motorway, he said, adding they had to wait for more than two hours to pay the toll. Due to surge in business activities, he said, people had to visit Faisalabad where the toll plaza would consume their four hours daily.

He demanded that the prime minister unearth the conspiracy of raising the toll plaza, penalise the guilty and those who allegedly received gratification against this toll collection. He said people were turning against the PTI government due to such conspiracies by “the bureaucracy”.

He announced that he would join the protest of traders if the government did not resolve the issue.

A couple of days ago the traders announced blocking the motorway in protest against collection of toll tax on motorway, however, they have not given any date for the protest.

Anjuman-i-Tajran city secretary general Mehmood Alam said they informed the people at the helm of affairs regarding the protest and issues being faced by masses. He said traders would announce their future course of action.

The prime minister was informed in a meeting a few days ago that the PTI was being harmed due to this toll plaza and it must be removed, he said, however, he did not disclose that what was the reply of the PM in response to his demand.

In response to a query regarding Jahangir Tareen alleged corruption, he said that he (Tareen) had done nothing wrong as he just received subsidy which was being offered across the globe. He said now he was in the country and the institutes were independent and they could proceed against him if they had any evidence.

He dispelled the impression that Tareen played any sort of role in the GB elections as the party not given him any assignment in this regard.

The city of Faisalabad, which voted for the PTI in the last polls, did not get any ministry because of conspiracies being hatched by the unelected people those were giving wrong information to the PM only to achieve their goals, he said, demanding a ministry for Faisalabad.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2020