A protest rally was held in Dargai, Malakand, on October 6 against inflation, unemployment, loadshedding and the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with participants also raising slogans against the PTI-led provincial government.
The protest walk was organised by the Mutahida Trade Union Dargai and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Malakand. Around 600 to 650 people reportedly participated in the demonstration.
Protesters burned tyres and voiced concerns over rising inflation, unemployment, prolonged loadshedding and the security situation in KP. Participants also criticised the PTI government over its failure to address public problems.
The demonstration was attended by Asfandyar Khan, president of Mutahida Trade Union Dargai; Ghulam Hussain, general secretary; Fazal Jameel, provincial president of the Transport Union; and Zahir Shah, president of the Dargai Press Club.
Protesters raised slogans demanding peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Malakand and called for action on inflation and loadshedding.
They also urged the PTI government to focus on health and education, highlighting concerns over basic public services in the province.
Citizens in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the performance of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, particularly over the deteriorating law and order situation and continued incidents of terrorism in the province.
Residents have called for the removal of Chief Minister (CM) Sohail Afridi, saying that a change in the provincial government’s approach is necessary to improve security and tackle terrorism effectively.
Criticising the PTI government and the chief minister, citizens said they had yet to see substantial practical work in the province, while political slogans and calls to travel to Adiala and D-Chowk continued to dominate political discourse.
The citizens said KP needed more than a change of faces, calling for fundamental changes in policies and the administrative system to address the province’s security challenges.
Some citizens also demanded that the courts consider banning PTI and imposing restrictions on its leaders, while calling for a government capable of adopting an effective strategy against terrorism.
They further stressed that the police’s operational powers and administrative structure should be protected from political interference so that law-enforcement agencies can perform their duties effectively.
The citizens said improving law and order and eliminating terrorism should be treated as the government’s priority, rather than allowing political confrontation to overshadow the province’s security and governance challenges.
