PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarians (PTI-P) chairman and former provincial chief minister Mahmood Khan on Thursday alleged that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had dropped Rs18 billion development projects for Malakand division, including Swat district, from the budget.

“The provincial government has meted out a ‘stepmotherly’ treatment towards Malakand division by scrapping Rs18 billion development projects in 2024–25,” Mr Mahmood, a native of Swat district, told a party meeting here.

The meeting was attended by PTI-P leaders and office-bearers from across the province.

Mr Mahmood also criticised the federal government’s decision to abandon the Public Sector Development Programme projects approved by the last Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said the move amounted to discriminating against the province.

PTI-P leader says both federal, KP govts not taking province’s issues seriously

“The centre has dropped our province’s 91 PSDP projects, including Phase II of the Swat Motorway. This is an anti-people decision that has come due to the ruling party’s prejudices,” he said.

The PTI-P leader urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to restore the province’s development funds.

“I also ask KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur to restore Malakand Division’s development projects,” he said.

Mr Mahmood said the party asked the federal government to give Khyber Pakhtunkhwa its share in development funds.

He said the province was suffering due to the sparring between the federal and provincial governments.

“Neither the federal government nor the provincial government is taking the province’s issues seriously,” he said.

The PTI-P leader said that after getting the people’s mandate in the February 8 general elections, both the federal and provincial governments were trampling on the people’s mandate.

He said KP, which had badly suffered due to terrorism, floods, and other natural disasters, was being neglected by the centre.

“This situation is affecting the development of our province,” he said.

Mr Mahmood asked the members of the members of the National Assembly from the province to raise their voices to protect the interests of the residents.

He said that the PTI-P had street power and had delivered during its rule in the province.

“We have the experience and can play our due role in addressing people’s issues,” he said.

The PTI-P leader complained that both election winners and losers alleged poll rigging.

“In these circumstances, neither the current system nor the federal and provincial governments can deliver the goods,” he said.

Mr Mahmood said the province’s development was tied to peace, and as long as there was lawlessness, there couldn’t be any development.

He said that before complaining against the federal government, the provincial government should pay attention to the delicate law-and-order situation in the province.

On the occasion, PTI-P general secretary Malik Habib Noor Orakzai said that the results of the February 8 general elections were contrary to the party’s expectations.

He, however, said that the PTI-P was confident about its future and would play an active role in the future politics of the province.

“We will focus on the party’s re-organisation and begin holding public meetings,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2024