Staff Report
PESHAWAR: Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkkhwa on Information and Public Relations, Shafi Jan, has strongly reacted to the statements of federal ministers, saying that Ikhtiar Wali’s remarks regarding governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reflect his ignorance, panic, and political dishonesty. He said such statements are an attempt to divert attention from the failures and poor governance of the federal government through baseless allegations.
In his statement, Shafi Jan said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the provincial government is taking practical steps to promote good governance and is working day and night to provide relief to the public. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the only province where no compromise is made on transparency, accountability, and merit, while lawlessness is on the rise in other provinces due to illegitimate governments.
He said the provincial government is giving special attention to the health sector and, in line with the vision of PTI Founder Chairman Imran Khan, free medical treatment and free medicines are being provided to the public through the Sehat Card, a program that has also received international recognition.
Terming Ikhtiar Wali a defeated individual, Shafi Jan said that instead of resorting to baseless criticism against the provincial government, he should ensure the payment of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s outstanding dues by the federation. Due to the federal government’s stubborn attitude, the development process in the province is being adversely affected.
He cited the example of the Peshawar Northern Bypass project, stating that when the federation failed to release funds, the provincial government recently provided billions of rupees from its own resources to ensure timely completion of the project.
He added that those claiming a lack of governance in the province should first present an account of the federal government’s performance. Poor federal policies, inflation, and unemployment have made life miserable for the people. Those lecturing on corruption should explain why major corruption scandals are surfacing at the federal level and who is responsible for corruption amounting to Rs 5,300 billion.
Speaking on terrorism, Shafi Jan said that despite the withholding of funds by the federation, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police is bravely fighting terrorism. The people and police of the province are making great sacrifices in this war, but the statements of Talal Chaudhry and other federal ministers are regrettable and condemnable.
He said such statements insult the sacrifices of the police in the war against terrorism, which is unacceptable. Terrorism is a serious national issue, while criticizing
the provincial government for it is an inappropriate and irresponsible approach.
He said the provincial government is taking all possible measures within its available resources to eradicate terrorism.
Shafi Jan further stated that the province’s 45 million people have given a clear mandate to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and the elected provincial government and members of the assembly will continue to make decisions in accordance with their mandate to safeguard the rights and interests of the people.
Meanwhile, declaring Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s visit to Sindh a success, Shafi Jan said that the love and sincerity shown by the people of Sindh will always be remembered. On the directions of PTI Founder Chairman Imran Khan, the street movement in Karachi and Hyderabad proved highly successful, which has also caused panic within the Sindh government.
He added that under the leadership of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the street movement will be expanded across the entire country.
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