NOWSHERA: Former chief minister Pervez Khattak suffered a major setback in his constituency, PK-64 Nowshera, on Saturday as the noted Gul family quit the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to join the Awami National Party along with scores of supporters in Ziarat Kaka Sahib area here.

An announcement in this respect was made by the elders of Gul family during a public meeting here.

The speakers included ANP provincial president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, district president and NA-25 candidate Malik Juma Khan, NA-26 candidate Jamal Khattak, PK-63 and PK-64 candidates Shahid Khan Khattak, PK-62 Pervez Ahmad Khan.

Hoti says PTI govt ruined institutions, emptied exchequer

Mr Hoti said the PTI had named electable turncoats as election candidates across the country ignoring loyalists.

He said the Pakhtuns faced a critical time and therefore, they should use their right to vote sensibly as it wouldn’t be the election of the next government only and instead, it was about their survival.

The ANP leader said the last PTI government had destroyed all institutions of province and emptied the exchequer leaving the caretaker government without funds to even pay salary to its employees.

He said the interim government had withheld development funds to pay employees.

Mr Hoti claimed that former CM Pervez Khattak didn’t initiate a single major development project in the province to the misery of the people.

He claimed that the ANP would sweep the elections to form the next government in the province for massive development.

The ANP leader said his party would begin a special programme to address the issue of unemployment and offer interest-free loans to skilled and educated people.

He said he had come to Nowshera to hold a jirga to discuss the future of Pakhtuns.

Mr Hoti asked Pakhtuns to shun differences and vote for their true leaders for development.

The ANP workers shouted slogans against Pervez Khattak and insisted that the last PTI government didn’t do anything for their development.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2018