LOWER DIR: Jamaat-i-Islami leader and former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan has said the country cannot make progress unless perks and privileges of judges, generals and bureaucrats are withdrawn.

He was addressing a welcome party hosted by the students of a private college in Timergara here on Saturday. The college principal Malik Shahid Khan, Pashto poet Prof Bakhtzada Danish and others also spoke.

Mr Ahmad said that Pakistan was still not a free country as it was being run on `foreign dictation`.

The JI leader said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had admitted that his government could not reduce power tariffs because of the IMF conditions.

He asked the youth to `break the chains of slavery` and be prepared for a `revolution`.

Mr Ahmad said 70 per cent of the total population in Pakistan was comprised of youth, but they were leaving the country in distress to seek better jobs abroad. He said that several youths had sacrificed their lives while crossing the borders to Europe.

The JI former lawmaker alleged the members of National Assembly had got their salary increased by 1,000 per cent while the Punjab lawmakers had their salaries increased by 300 per cent. He said that judges, generals, bureaucrats and politicians got heavy perks and privileges.

He said that nine million official vehicles were in the use of the elite class.

The former senator demanded of the government to increase the budget for education for the country`s development and prosperity.

Ahmad paid rich tribute to the Hammas leaders and said that their sacrifices would bear fruits soon.

He said the JI rejected the US president Donal Trump`s announcement that Palestinians should be expelled to Egypt, Jordon and Indonesia.

He emphasised that Palestinians should be given their due right to live freely.

POWER OUTAGE: Pakistan Peoples Party on Saturday criticised the federal government and Peshawar Electric Power Supply Company over unscheduled power outages in the region.

PPP district secretary information Alamzeb Advocate told reporters that prolonged and excessive power outages had hit the business activities. He said the power supply remained suspended from morning till evening for the last one month.

He demanded of the government to take notice of the problem.