SHANGLA: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has said that the claim of opposition parties to table no-confidence motion against him as they have two-third majority in the provincial assembly is not less than a joke.

He was addressing a public meeting in Chakesar on Monday. Provincial Minister Shaukat Yousafzai, former provincial minister Abdul Munim Khan, candidate for tehsil chairman slot Akhtar Ali Chitan and others also addressed the gathering.

The chief minister said that the members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly were soldiers of Imran Khan and they would neither change loyalties. The zealous people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa always stood by Imran Khan and would continue to do so, he added.

Mahmood says former rulers deceived people

He said that participation of a large number of people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Islamabad rally was a lesson for the opposition that the province was a stronghold of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

The chief minister said that opposition parties were trying to de-seat a prime minister, who always spoke of national dignity and independence. He said that Imran Khan was the only prime minister, who gave the country an independent foreign policy and made it clear to world powers that friendship would be based only on basis of equality.

He said that prime minister raised the issue of Kashmir at international level in an unprecedented manner. “Imran Khan has become an effective voice of Islam and Muslims at all international forums,” he added.

The chief minister said that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had remained the chairman of Kashmir committee for 18 years but never raised a voice for the people of Kashmir. His party had ruled the province for five years in the name of Islam but didn’t do anything for Islam, he said.

He said that former rulers of the province only deceived people through various slogans. Some ruled in the name of Islam, some in the name of bread and cloth and some in the name of Pakhtuns, but they did nothing for the welfare of people, he said.

He said that government was utilising each penny for the welfare of people. “PTI government has introduced stipends for prayer leaders and scholarships for seminary students while solarisation of mosques is being carried out,” he added.

Mr Khan said that Sehat Sahulat Card scheme was extended to entire population of the province, which was another milestone achievement of the government. He said that food cards would be introduced for providing food items to deserving families at discounted rates while education cards would also be launched in the next budget.

He said that in the past no one planned to make the country self-sufficient in agriculture whereas in the present tenure 10 dams were being constructed.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2022