Govt assails PTI over 'lack of governance' in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
AI Summary
Pakistan's information minister Attaullah Tarar accused the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of failing to invest adequately in counterterrorism, health, education, and infrastructure despite receiving substantial federal funds. He also alleged that PTI facilitated militant groups and prioritized protests and efforts to secure Imran Khan's release.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Saturday assailed the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over a “lack of governance” in the province. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he alleged that the provincial government was given Rs700 billion under the National Finance Commission to combat terrorism. “You did not upgrade the Counter Terrorism Department, did not establish forensic labs, did not install safe city cameras, which should be installed in the merged districts and all the entry-exit points of KP’s districts,” he alleged. On the other hand, the information minister claimed that the PTI was spending this money on organising protests. “You don’t even give half an hour to discuss the terrorism in the province; but you do six-hour meetings to spread turmoil and vandalism in the province,” he criticised. Tarar further said that the PTI had “trapped” millions of people in the province to get its leader, former prime minister Imran Khan, released from jail. “You trapped them in poverty, in disease by not providing the adequate health facilities, in ignorance by not providing educational opportunities, and in non-development by not improving infrastructure,” he said. Tarar also alleged that the KP government had held the people of the province “captive to terrorists”. “From the very first day, this is my opinion that they [PTI] are the B-team of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan,” Tarar said. The information minister said that the PTI facilitated terrorists in settling in the country. “For how long will it go on? That the security forces will clear the area of terrorists and establish peace back, but you will bring the terrorists back?” he asked. More to follow