PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) has appealed to the chief justice of Peshawar High Court to take suo moto notice of the alleged irregularities in Bus Rapid Transit project to fix responsibility and recover the public money.

The demand was made by QWP provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao at a press conference here on Monday. On the occasion, a number of political activists led by Malik Kamran Khan announced joining QWP.

Sikandar Sherpao said that government spent billions of rupees on BRT project but it failed to serve the purpose.

He said that BRT bus service was restored after remaining suspended for one month, but on the very first day a bus broke down on the corridor and the passengers had to wait for another vehicle.

These buses, he said, developed some major faults soon after inauguration of the project but government was yet to remove the faults and arrest the people involved in the misappropriation of funds.

Sikandar Sherpao says PDM’s Peshawar rally will be last nail in govt’s coffin

“This speaks volumes about anomalies in the BRT project. We request the PHC chief justice to take suo moto notice of the irregularities in the project to fix responsibility,” said Sikandar Sherpao.

He said that the tempo built by power shows by Pakistan Democratic Movement set the stage for ouster of the rulers.

Peshawar rally would prove the last nail in the coffin of the government, he added.

“The government has started showing signs of panic and is making threats against the leaders of the opposition,” said the QWP leader.

He said that government did not fulfil its promises about merger of former Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that the promised funds for development of the hitherto neglected areas were not released so far, which was causing despondency among the local people.

Sikandar Sherpao said that provincial government was unable to safeguard interests of the province. It was being remote-controlled from Islamabad and the rulers had no say in the affairs of the province, he added.

Welcoming Malik Kamran, he said that his party would spare no effort to raise voice for the rights of Pakhtuns.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2020