NOWSHERA: Awami National party central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain here on Tuesday said that it was bad luck of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf was unable to present the last budget and could not utilise funds fully during the last few years.

Addressing party workers in Balu union council, he criticised the provincial government for what he called its failure to utilise funds.

He said that the government wanted to escape by not presenting the budget.

He said that government was afraid that it might not succeed to pass the budget from provincial assembly as several lawmakers of the ruling party sold votes in the Senate elections and changed their loyalty.

The ANP leader claimed that provincial government could not pass budget from assembly. He said that most of the PTI lawmakers were no more loyal to the provincial government and their party.

Mr Hussain said that $39 billion funds came for power projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor but all the schemes were shifted to Punjab. He added that the issue of shortage of water would be resolved if small dams were built in the province.

The ANP leader said that no one would be allowed to abolish 18th Amendment. He said that small provinces had greater share in National Finance Commission award but central government was not ready to them their share at any condition. “Punjab is elder brother but it should not usurp the rights of smaller provinces,” he said. He added that the country could not become strong and stable if its federating units were weak.

The ANP leader said that it was ironic that Imran had no trust in the parliament. He said that political matters were being sent to courts that was not a good precedent. He said that democracy in the country had been facing conspiracies for the last five years.

Mr Hussain also celebrated his birthday by cutting a cake in presence of a large number of party workers.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2018