DERA ISMAIL KHAN: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman inaugurated several development projects costing Rs5.65 billion for the Dera Ismail Khan region on Sunday, insisting that the journey of development that had allegedly been stopped in 2018 “through a foreign agenda” had resumed.

Speaking at a ceremony after unveiling the plaques of different development projects, he blamed the PTI government for stopping work on development projects initiated during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure.

Mr Rehman also accused the PTI of using violence during its protests and compared them with the marches and public gatherings held by the JUI-F.

He said the JUI-F had held several marches but never damaged public and private property. In contrast, during PTI protests, state properties were set on fire and the corps commander’s house and martyrs’ monuments were attacked, he said, referring to last month’s countrywide violent protests after the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan.

JUI-F chief inaugurates Rs5.7bn projects for D.I. Khan

Talking about Mr Khan’s last year ouster from power, the JUI-F chief said the PTI should not blame anyone else as “we ended their government through the parliament under the Constitution”.

The development projects inaugurated by Mr Rehman included the rehabilitation of the 18-kilometre Qureshi Mor to Naivela road, and a road from Muryali to Qureshi Mor and then to Ramak at the cost of Rs2.65bn. Besides, another Rs3bn would be spent on a road from Mufti Mahmood Chowk to Qureshi Mor on Dera Bypass. All the tracks comprise two lanes.

He said work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects had also resumed and the first section would be made from Yarik to Saggu and then onwards to Daraban in the second section.

The work on Daraban to Ramak via Mosazai, Chaudhwan and Kirri Shamozai road was also going to be started, he said, adding that roads from the Yarik interchange to Tank, and from Pezu to Tank were also being inaugurated.

Similarly, the Lakki Marwat would be connected to CPEC from Arslah Wandha via Karak, which would link three districts with the corridor project, the JUI-F chief added.

He said CPEC was not only a road infrastructure but an international economic corridor. A cargo-international airport would be established between Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu to make the region an international trade junction.

Federal Minister for Commun­ications Asad Mahmood also spoke on the occasion. He said those who had been missing after losing the government were trying to mislead the people and trying to get credit for different development projects of Dera Ismail Khan. “You could not mislead this nation,” he added.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2023