SWABI: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F and Jamaat-i-Islami leaders claimed on Monday that the failure of the Bus Rapid Transit project had proved that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government could not deliver according to people’s expectations.

Talking to this correspondent here, they said only hollow slogans were not enough and the ruling PTI had to take practical steps to fulfill the pledges it had made with the people. They said the BRT project had destroyed the beauty of Peshawar.

Maulana Attaulhaq Darvaish, JUI-F provincial naib emir, said the completion date of the project was repeatedly extended, design of the project was flawed and its cost had increased manifold.

“Who was responsible for the entire mess, financial losses and climbing cost which would be transferred to the poor masses? And the issue of corruption is also there,” he said. “The project was initiated for political gains and started in a hurry.”

Mehmoodul Hassan, JI district chief, said those who were responsible for failure of BRT project should be punished.

“The project was not bad but wrong policies of the government have made it highly controversial,” he said.

PEOPLE TO GET ALL FACILITIES: District nazim Zahid Khan has vowed to provide all the facilities of life to the people.

Talking to local bodies’ representatives on Monday, he said there was dire need to make the local government strong to deliver according to the expectations of people.

The elected representatives should also play their due role in meeting the people’s demands, he underscored.

ELECTED: PTI’s Saleem Khan and Fazal Ghani were elected president and general secretary, respectively, of Swabi Maneri union council chapter on Monday.

The two leaders were elected through consensus at a meeting held in a local hujra.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2019