PESHAWAR: Awami National Party Khyber Pakhtunkhwa General Secretary Hussain Shah Yousafzai has warned authorities against rolling back the Timergara Medical College project, saying any such move won’t be unacceptable under any circumstances.

“The failure to make the college functional even after a decade reflects the provincial government’s gross incompetence, mismanagement and corruption,” Mr Yousafzai said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

He said the medical college was formally inaugurated in 2015, yet despite the passage of ten years, the academic process has not begun.

“Billions of rupees from the public exchequer have been spent on the project but the institution has failed to meet even the basic requirements of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council,” he said.

The ANP leader said that more than Rs4 billion had already been spent, but authorities had failed to operationalise the college, raising serious questions about the government’s priorities and governance.

He pointed out that the successive announcements were made for starting admissions, including promises for the 2025 session, but none materialised.

Mr Yousafzai said the continued non-functionality of the college despite massive spending was a clear example of financial mismanagement and administrative failure.

“In 2022, around 190 employees were recruited on political grounds who are being paid hefty salaries despite the college remaining non-operational,” he said.

The ANP leader also referred to reported irregularities in the procurement of land and equipment for the institution, saying that serious allegations of corruption have surfaced but no “transparent” investigation has been carried out.

Calling the situation a blatant waste of public resources, he demanded that all individuals involved in corruption related to the Timergara Medical College be held accountable.

Mr Yousafzai criticised the “silence” of the PTI’s national and provincial lawmakers from Dir on the issue, declaring it criminal negligence and proof of their indifference toward public welfare.

He said the provincial government should focus on addressing bad governance, corruption and public issues instead of being preoccupied with the release of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan.

He said that the ANP would continue its struggle for transparency, accountability and the protection of public resources.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2025