MANSEHRA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Parliamentarians’ chairman Pervez Khattak on Saturday insisted his party would form the next government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking at a public gathering in Pattan, the district headquarters of Lower Kohistan, he claimed he helped Imran Khan establish his party’s government in KP twice.

Former chief minister Mahmood Khan and PTI-P Hazara division president Salah Mohammad Khan also spoke.

Mr Khattak claimed when he was the chief minister he launched different projects in the education and health sectors in Kohistan, besides bifurcating Kohistan into three districts. He promised following the suit after coming into power again.

Mr Khattak claimed people wanted PTI-P to come into power in the province.

On the occasion, Mahmood Khan claimed honest politicians had joined PTI-P to bring a change in KP. “The people have been extending us overwhelming welcome wherever we go to address public gatherings,” he said.

Mr Khan said PTI-P would come into power and address issues faced by people of Kohistan and rest of the province.

FUNDS SOUGHT: The Local Government Alliance on Saturday demanded of the government to release funds for local bodies and grant them rights stipulated under the Local Government Act, 2013.

“We have been deprived of funds since local bodies were formed in KP,” Basharat Ali Swati, the alliance’s general secretary, told reporters at the end of a meeting of chairmen village and neighbourhood councils here.

He urged the Peshawar High Court to take notice of the financial issues facing the local bodies.

He said there voters had become disillusioned with them since they failed to launch any development scheme.

On the occasion, other village council chairmen said political parties had resisted the holding of local body elections in the province, but the Supreme Court had thwarted their bid. They urged the PHC chief justice to ensure the government released the required funds to the local bodies.

In a separate development, the lawyers’ fraternity and Jamaat-i-Islami’s student wing on Saturday took out rallies in protest against Israeli aggression in Palestine.

The lawyers took out a rally from the district courts, and after marching throughout the city, gathered at the same point. Holding banners and placards, the protesters raised slogans in support of their Palestine brethren and against Israel.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2023