PESHAWAR: The Amun Taraqqi Party (ATP) on Sunday announced that it will launch a country-wide protest demonstration against the growing price-hike, unemployment, and whopping increase in electricity and gas tariffs.

While talking to media persons here, Faiq Shah urged the government and concerned authorities to immediately revise the power and gas tariffs, petrol prices and take serious notice of increasing food inflation, otherwise, he observed that people will be compelled to rise against the incumbent rulers for obtaining their genuine and legitimate rights.

Accompanied by Deputy Secretary General Sohail Ahmad Malik, Central Information secretary Awais Khan, senior leaders and activists, the ATP chief viewed that steep rise in prices of daily use commodities, petrol, electricity and gas had made life of common man miserable as the power tariff was increased by 18 percent, gas 55 percent and essential food commodities by 54 percent last year.

In this year, which is going to end after a week, the party leader noted that the price-hike had broken all previous records and touched a new peak. He observed the electricity tariff has further been increased, whereas the gas has become costlier despite that it was unavailable to consumers.

Faiq Shah assailed that the dropping bombs of price-hike, increase of electricity and gas prices on poor masses have become a tradition of the incumbent government, alleging that the agenda of international financial lenders is being imposed on the poverty-stricken masses.

The party leader said the government and opposition have indulged in war for attainment of personal interests and gains, leaving the poor people at mercy of the mafia, which is taking full advantage of the present scenario.

Prices of eggs, chicken, pulses and vegetables are sky-high, Faiq Shah observed. He asked that the miseries of the poor masses have been multiplied on whom behest? He asserted that the mafia behind the sugar and flour scandal has not yet been brought to justice.

The ATP chief observed that because of the worst mismanagement, the government and local administration had lost writ and control over the profiteers, hoarders and exploitative groups that are continuously squeezing the poor masses by charging prices of essential commodities with artificial and exorbitant rates, he slammed.

“We will never compromise on the rights of people and their exploitation,” the ATP chief vowed

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020