HARIPUR: Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is fast inching towards lawlessness and people of southern districts and former Fata are not safe even during daytime owing to poor governance by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf that has led the province to unrest.

He was addressing a public meeting in Chikahee area of Beer on Thursday afternoon. He visited the area on the invitation of former candidate for provincial assembly Jehanzeb Khan Tanoli.

Lashing out at PTI leaders, he said that they always accused the Sindh government of bad governance but Sindh chief minister never said that provincial kitty was empty and his government was never too short of resources to pay salaries to employees or disburse funds to local government representatives.

The governor said whenever PTI came into power, its leaders shed crocodile tears that the exchequer was empty. He asked the PTI government to put a little stop to plundering public exchequer. He said that the statements of their own ministers were strong evidence of corruption in the PTI government.

Kundi says statements of provincial ministers are evidence of corruption

He said that PTI made tall claims about introducing corruption-free governance but it was selling low-ranking jobs in the province for Rs600,000 and Rs800,000.

He alleged that secretaries were getting appointed by paying Rs110 million as a loot sale of jobs was at its peak.

Quoting a statement of Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, the governor said that his party members were not in favour of Imran Khan’s release as his release would put an end to their loot and plunder. He also accused former premier Imran Khan of struggling to secure NRO.

He criticised the provincial government for resorting to baton charge local government chairmen on Wednesday who were protesting for their rights in Peshawar.

Mr Kundi said that the province owed to Pakistan Peoples Party that had given its people a real identity and it was only possible with the efforts of President Asif Ali Zardari.

He said that with the provincial autonomy given by PPP, the province was getting one per cent of terrorism-specific funding from National Finance Commission Award but unfortunately PTI misused the funds meant for equipping police to combat terrorism.

He said that at least 9.8 million women were benefiting from Benazir Income Support Programme. He also criticised elected representatives of Haripur for keeping Beer area under-developed.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2024