Chairman Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Saturday, commenting on the federal budget, said that the country’s economy was still in dire straits, hoping that the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s programme would soon be restored. Speaking at a meeting of party office-bearers of Union Council Mandani and Harichand at Sherpao village, he maintained that the restoration of IMF programme was vital for the country as it was grappling with rising debt and other economic challenges.
The QWP leader lauded the government for announcing the increase in the salary of its employees in the face of skyrocketing inflation, adding that this would give them some relief to cope with the backbreaking inflation. Aftab Sherpao said that the government had allocated insufficient funds for the merged districts in the budget. He asked the federal government to give the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa its due shares and release the arrears of the net hydel profit and the oil and gas royalty.
He demanded that the federal government should announce the new National Finance Commission award as soon as possible and increase the shares of the smaller provinces. Aftab Sherpao said the May 9 mayhem had shaken the security foundation of the country, calling for strict punishment for the perpetrators of violence in accordance with the law. He demanded that the masterminds and the facilitators of the May 9 vandalism and arson attacks on the state buildings and military installations should be put in the dock.—APP
