SHANGLA: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and Safron Amir Muqam on Sunday said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had rejected what he described as the politics of unrest “pursued” by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

Addressing a gathering at Bisham Chowk here, Mr Muqam said the people of KP ‘heaved a sigh of relief’ after 13 years of PTI rule in the province.

He claimed that the people of KP rejected the PTI’s sit-in and its politics of confrontation. He claimed that around 80pc of the participants at the gathering were young people.

Criticising the dysfunctional provincial government, the federal minister said PTI leaders ‘failed’ to work for public welfare.

Says Centre to hold accountable those who misappropriated funds

Mr Muqam said that the people of KP celebrated “the end to the PTI’s rule” by distributing sweets.

He claimed that the PTI had lost its political clout in the province and said the federal government would hold accountable those who he alleged misappropriated public funds. However, he added that the PML-N did not believe in the politics of revenge.

The minister said the government’s priority was to resolve public issues and address the sense of deprivation among the people of KP.

He said the federal government would continue serving the public under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed confidence that the people of the province would soon witness a change.

Mr Muqam alleged that an initial inquiry into development schemes in Shangla tehsil revealed irregularities. He said he had recently met the deputy commissioner of Shangla, during which concerns were raised about funds allocated for around 200 schemes that had allegedly been withdrawn despite the projects being shown as completed in official records.

He said the accountability process would cover alleged misappropriation of public funds across KP, insisting that the government’s action was not motivated by personal or political vendettas but by the need to protect public money.

Referring to criticism directed at him on social media, the minister said he had refrained from using state authority against his critics, adding that his concern was accountability for public funds and the welfare of the people.

Mr Muqam promised that the people of KP would begin to see improvements within three months. He said the government would raise the province’s issues with the federal authorities and work to address its development needs, healthcare problems and other public grievances.

Passengers travelling to and from Gilgit-Baltistan and other areas of the region were stranded due to the PML-N rally and faced hardships for five hours.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2026