SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarians (PTI-P) central chairman Pervez Khattak on Saturday blasted the caretaker government for stopping the Sehat Sahulat Card programme, and promised to revive the initiative after coming to power.

He was addressing a public meeting held in Malik Abad area of Razaar tehsil here. It was the first power show of PTI-P in the district to launch the party’s election campaign.

Mr Khattak claimed the party was in a strong position to form the next government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said Imran Khan’s PTI had ruled KP for nearly a decade but it failed to fulfill the pledges made with the people.

PTI-P begins poll campaign in Swabi

He asked the voters to avoid being ‘misguided and misled this time around’.

He said leaders of different political parties made various promises during the election campaigns, but once they got elected they failed to honour them.

He came down heavily on the religious parties, saying they took votes in the name of Islam, but actually they wanted to reach power corridors. “Has JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman ever raised slogans or campaigned for establishing a true Islamic state,” he said.

Mr Khattak claimed that he along with Mahmood Khan, who also served as chief minister of KP during the second stint of PTI, worked for the progress and prosperity of the people.

He said a network of roads was spread by him in Swabi and other regions of the province.

The former chief minister said it was he who built the Swat Motorway. He said he wanted to strengthen the institutions this time around.

He said during his tenure the young educated people were recruited on merit.

Mr Khattak claimed that he had purged the police department of corruption and made the force to serve people in true manner. “I will introduce reforms to benefit people and make institutions deliver accordingly,” he insisted.

He said PTI-P’s manifesto was to make economy strong to create jobs for people.

He alleged that former prime minister Imran Khan considered himself a king, and that the PTI government had weakened Pakistan economically.

On the occasion, former MPA Sumi Falak Niaz, declared that PTI-P would change the people’s destiny for good.

Malik Yousafzai, PTI-P poll candidate, hoped his party would play its due role for welfare of Swabi people.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2023