BATTAGRAM: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader and former special assistant to the chief minister Taj Mohammad Khan on Thursday claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was ruled by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and not by a neutral caretaker government.

“Instead of caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan, the powers of the executive in the province are exercised by JUI-F leaders Akram Khan Durrani and [governor] Haji Ghulam Ali,” Mr Khan told Dawn here.

The PTI leader, who is a former MPA, said his party’s government strived for the people’s development and delivered the goods but the then opposition conspired against it.

He said the Pakistan Democratic Movement government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ruined the country’s economy beyond repair.

“The [opposition] PDM used to criticise the [ruling] PTI over inflation and lawlessness but look at what it has done to the economy after grabbing power,” he said.

Mr Khan claimed that as the lawmaker, he ensured the spending of around Rs1 billion funds in his constituency to build roads, develop other infrastructure, and supply clean drinking water.

He also said the last budget had Rs500 million to purchase land in his area for setting up a university, while the health insurance programme was extended to all families in the province.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2023