SWAT: Jamaat-i-Islami Khyber Pakhtunkhwa North emir Inayatullah Khan on Friday strongly criticised the provincial government’s decision to make large-scale cuts in development projects under the proposed provincial budget, describing the cancellation and freezing of development schemes as a sign of administrative failure.

Addressing a crowded press conference at the Jamaat-i-Islami’s Mingora office, he said that development projects worth Rs28 billion in Malakand Division had been completely dropped, while schemes worth Rs20 billion had been frozen, a move he termed contrary to public interest.

He demanded immediate restoration of these projects and urged the government to prioritise and complete previously approved development schemes on time. He also called for substantial increases in allocations for the education and health sectors, expressing concern over the government’s plan to revise salaries of public employees according to the 2015 formula and stressed that salary increases were essential.

Inayatullah Khan further demanded immediate withdrawal of services sales tax in Malakand division, arguing that the region’s people could not bear the additional financial burden. Criticising the federal government, he rejected the increase in GST on raw material from 12pc to 14pc and called for its immediate reversal, warning that the measure could lead to the closure of industrial units.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2026