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ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Saturday said the tragic drowning of tourists in Swat marked the ‘death of the governance system’ established during the 12-year rule of the PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Addressing a news conference along with Barrister Aqeel Malik, State Minister for Law and Justice, Mr Tarar held the PTI’s KP government responsible for the tragedy which is mourned by the entire nation.
He said that despite the availability of modern equipment in 2025, the provincial government had failed to rescue stranded tourists that shows the quality of infrastructure which has been compromised to the lowest level during the PTI government.
This is not the death of tourists, but rather the collapse of PTI’s governance system, he added.
Mr Tarar expressed deep sorrow over the Swat incident, where stranded tourists including women and children could not be rescued despite being visible and only a few hundred feet away from safety.
Says provincial admin failed to rescue stranded tourists visible just a few hundred feet from safety
A single rescue attempt was made after several hours had passed, using a makeshift boat, he lamented, questioning where the helicopter used by the PTI founder and the KP chief minister for their travels was.
Instead of taking responsibility, the provincial government suspended a deputy commissioner, he said, adding that the real accountability lies with the chief minister, who refused to provide camps for the victims.
“The irony is that while bodies were being recovered, the chief minister had the audacity to say, ‘It’s not my job to provide camps.’ If that’s not your job, then tell us what is,” Mr Tarar said.
“Is it not your job to save lives, maintain law and order, restore Lady Reading Hospital, or establish universities?” he said, asking whether the job of the KP chief minister is to attack Islamabad, humiliate people, and follow orders from Adiala Jail.
“I want to ask Mr Gandapur, who has set up a camp office in Adiala Jail, whether the people of KP gave you a mandate to work from there,” he said, comparing it to the work-from-home routine during the Covid days.
Mr Tarar demanded to know why the PDMA, which receives millions from the provincial budget, failed to perform. “If you cannot run rescue operations, at least have the decency to remain silent — or just shut down the PDMA,” he said.
Citing examples of efficient governance, the minister recalled how Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as former chief minister of Punjab, ensured maximum deployment of rescue resources during tourist seasons in Murree.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has taken it even further by deploying modern technology and upgrading infrastructure. She has also successfully completed an anti-encroachment drive across all districts — even before any disasters occurred, he said.
In contrast, the PTI government only wakes up after tragedies. Now they talk about anti-encroachment drives — but where were these measures before the deaths occurred?” he questioned.
He accused PTI of creating an illusion of performance by staging attacks in Islamabad, rather than building systems that truly serve the public. “Your governance would have been acknowledged had you established a robust rescue network in key tourist areas,” he said. “Instead, you chose optics over outcomes.”
The minister also questioned the scapegoating of the deputy commissioner, pointing to broader systemic corruption in KP, particularly the recent Kohistan scandal now under NAB investigation. He said the fault lies with the entire government; that is why the whole PTI system deserves suspension, not just the DC.
In response to a question, he emphasised that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif remains committed to democratic engagement.
He said the prime minister shook hands with the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, reflecting his vision of unity, not division.
Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2025
