PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami on Tuesday released a pre-budget ‘white paper’ criticising the performance of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government, which has remained in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the past 14 years, and demanded a special development package worth Rs650 billion for Peshawar over the next three years.

The ‘white paper’ was unveiled during a pre-budget seminar organised under the banner of the ‘Haq Do Peshawar’ movement at the local press club.

According to the document, the proposed package aims to ensure the provision of basic rights and improve public services for residents of the provincial capital.

Former MNA and Jamaat-i-Islami Khyber Pakhtunkhwa general secretary Sabir Hussain Awan chaired the seminar.

Among those who addressed the gathering were Haq Do Peshawar president and former provincial minister Kashif Azam Khalil, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Junaid Altaf, former provincial minister Hafiz Hashmat Khan, JI district general secretary Hidayatullah Khan, Pakistan Business Forum president Khalid Gul Mohmand, National Labour Federation provincial general secretary Samiullah, Dr Daniyal, social media activist Shafiq Giyani, and JI deputy emir Hamdullah Jan Budhni.

The participants highlighted multiple challenges facing the provincial capital, including deteriorating infrastructure, limited access to clean drinking water, pressure on healthcare and education facilities, traffic congestion, and environmental pollution. The speakers urged the provincial government to allocate dedicated funds for Peshawar in the upcoming 2026-27 budget and ensure the provision of essential public services.

The seminar noted that Peshawar serves as a major commercial and business hub and acts as a gateway for trade with Central Asia. According to the speakers, between 800,000 and 1.2 million people from other districts enter the city daily, placing severe pressure on urban infrastructure and public resources.

The participants expressed concern over increasing traffic-related issues, delayed emergency response services, inadequate water supply, and growing burden on hospitals and educational institutions. The ‘white paper’ proposed the establishment of a Peshawar Capital City Development Fund in the fiscal year 2026-27 budget, with an initial allocation of at least Rs650 billion to upgrade urban infrastructure and address longstanding civic issues.

The speakers maintained that Peshawar’s problems could not be resolved without allocating resources in accordance with the city’s growing importance, and called on the government to take immediate practical measures.

At the conclusion of the seminar, Haq Do Peshawar president Kashif Azam Khalil presented copies of the ‘white paper’ to the participants.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2026