PESHAWAR: Awami National Party general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain has invited Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan for a debate on what he described so-called development during the tenure of the coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Addressing office-bearers of Pakhtun Students Federation at Bacha Khan Markaz here on Friday, he said Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had exposed plight of hospitals during his visit to Peshawar recently.

He said over 1.8 million children were still out of school in KP despite the fact that the PTI government had declared education emergency in the province. He claimed that earlier outstanding loans against the province were Rs37 billion which had now reached Rs358 billion.

Mr Hussain alleged that the Annual Development Programme had lapsed for the fourth consecutive year that showed inefficiency on the part of the provincial government. Now the government could not present the budget, he added.

The ANP leader said the cost of Bus Rapid Transit project had been escalated due to changes in its design. He said Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was going to inaugurate Swat Expressway which was still incomplete. He claimed the provincial government had brought police officers from Punjab on deputation while local officers were sidelined.

The ANP leader urged the federal government to merge Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before the general elections.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2018