PESHAWAR: Adviser to the chief minister on information and public relations Shafi Jan on Thursday said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was playing a frontline role in the war against terrorism.

He also said the provincial government was adopting exemplary austerity measures in view of the ongoing global energy crisis triggered by the Iran war.

Addressing a news conference along with provincial finance adviser Muzammil Aslam, Mr Jan said that KP was acting as a “shield” for the rest of the country in the fight against terrorism.

He added that the provincial government had allocated Rs31 billion to strengthen the counter-terrorism department (CTD) and Special Branch, which would help improve the law and order situation in the province.

Says govt adopting exemplary austerity measures; Rs31 billion allocated to strengthen CTD, Special Branch

The aide to the CM said that the compensation amount for martyred personnel under the Shuhada Package had been enhanced; police stations were being set up, and an academy for the prosecution was being established.

He added that police would be equipped with more modern gadgets.

Mr Jan complained about the denial of development funds, promised by the federal government, for tribal districts.

He added that the provincial government provided Rs26 billion funds for the region under the Accelerated Integrated Programme.

The CM’s aide said that the provincial government had taken concrete steps to reduce expenditure and provide socioeconomic relief to the people.

He said that CM Sohail Afridi had approved a Rs13 billion Ramazan Relief Package for poor families, action on which was taken in a transparent manner.

“The entire Ramazan Package amount has been delivered to the deserving people, benefitting over one million individuals,” he said.

Mr Jan insisted that the opposition was politicising the government’s public welfare initiatives. He challenged critics to present solid evidence of any irregularities in the Ramazan Package disbursements.

“We’re ready to respond to the solid evidence as transparency and good governance remain its top priorities,” he said.

The aide to the CM said that relief initiatives, including the Ehsaas Dastarkhwan programme, had provided support to the poor and needy people as well as travellers. He criticised the Punjab government for suspending its Ramazan Dastarkhwan programme, “launched for publicity”, in the last 10 days of the holy month.

Talking about the energy crisis, Mr Jan said it was a global issue. He flayed the federal government for increasing petroleum prices by 20 per cent, which, he said, added to people’s hardship amid rising inflation. He said the KP government, following the vision of former prime minister Imran Khan, had announced financial assistance of Rs2,200 each for 1.6 million registered motorcycle owners.

“Steps are also being taken to support farmers during the wheat threshing season. Data collection in this regard is under way,” he said.

Mr Jan said that despite the increase in fuel prices, the provincial government didn’t raise Bus Rapid Transit fares to the relief of commuters. He said that more buses, including for women, were being added to the BRT fleet.

He criticised the Punjab government for increasing metro fares.

The aide to the CM resented a “lack of austerity” in Punjab, insisting that an aircraft worth Rs11 billion has been purchased, while the taxpayers’ money is being used for the government functionaries’ tours.

In response to a question, Mr Aslam said the former chief minister announced Rs10,000 payments under the Ramazan Package. He said that last year, the provincial government distributed the cash handouts using its own data.

“This year, the provincial government verified the data and enhanced the package amount due to the price hike. There were around 1.63 beneficiaries. However, many, who did not deserve the payments, were filtered, bringing the number down to 1.16 million,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026