SWAT: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday said he would never make any compromise on peace and people’s security in the province.

“Maintaining peace in the province has always been my top priority. Peace and writ of the government are in place not only in Swat but all over the province,” the chief minister told residents in Gabin Jabba area of Lalko valley in Matta tehsil here.

He said that peace was restored in Swat following a long struggle and multiple sacrifices by security personnel and citizens.

“We [government] won’t allow anyone to sabotage this hard-earned peace or politicise it under any circumstances,” he said.

Mahmood criticises centre for ‘withholding’ province’s funds

Mr Mahmood said that his physical presence among people in the far-flung hilly terrain of Swat district was evidence enough that peace prevailed in the area.

He said that unfortunately, he was criticised without reason.

The chief minister criticised the ‘self-centered’ policies of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration and said the multiple national issues emerged only after the imported government was formed a few months ago.

“The imported [PML-N] government is involved in unethical politics at the cost of national interests. It has no concern for the country and the people and has come into being through conspiracies with the only aim to protect its members’ wealth obtained by loot and plunder,” he said.

The chief minister also insisted that the federal government withheld the due share of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the budget, which proved its unfair and discriminatory conduct towards the province as well as bad politics.

“Despite their [federal government’s] indifferent attitude, we [KP government] will not make any compromise on peace and development in the province,” he said.

Highlighting development initiatives by his government in the last four years, the chief minister said that several projects had been executed and completed across the province to strengthen communication networks, establish educational institutions and to boost tourism and industrial activities to bring in huge investment.

He said that as long as Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government was there, everything was going well, but when the ‘imported’ people came to power in its place, problems started to emerge and the law and order situation deteriorated.

“The regime change conspiracy was executed to remove the PTI government in the centre only after Prime Minister Imran Khan shouted the slogan ‘absolutely not’ [to the US bases in Pakistan],” he said.

The chief minister said that those behind ‘regime change’ only wanted the ‘absolutely yes’ politicians, who currently ruled the centre in the form of an ‘imported’ cabinet but didn’t protect national interests.

He also announced the holding of winter tourist events in Swat valley and invited people from all over the country to show up to enjoy the scenic sites.

Earlier, officials briefed the chief minister about the law and order situation in Malakand division, especially Swat district.

The provincial chief secretary, inspector general of police, commissioner of Malakand division, and other relevant officials were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2022