Tarar issues white paper on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa govt performance

LAHORE: Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has issued a white paper on the performance and governance of opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In a press conference held here on Sunday, Tarar started by saying that while PTI got a clear mandate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, instances of corruption came to light after they formed the government.

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“After the elections, a coalition government was formed in the federation. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) got mandate in Punjab and PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. People gave mandate to PML-N’s coalition partner Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Sindh and Balochistan,” he said.

The information minister said that the government is fulfilling promises made with the nation. “The economy in the country has stabilised, and inflation has also decreased.”

Announcing the white paper on the performance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Tarar said, “When political parties were contesting the elections, they had some manifestos, and all political parties made promises in the elections.” He said that while other parties have fulfilled, and are fulfilling, their promises, the PTI government has failed to deliver.

“Today, the common man is fully benefiting from the metro project. [But] the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has done nothing but corruption in the province,” he said, adding, “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is facing a fiscal deficit of Rs152 billion.”

The information minister alleged that payments were made to social media in the name of fictitious companies in the province. “Billions of rupees are given from the government treasury for propaganda on social media in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Tarar alleged.

Tarar said that PTI’s government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is going to complete 11 years, but all they have to show for it is corruption and misgovernance. “A person had called Lahore’s metro bus a jangla [cagey] bus. The same person then took a U-turn and built the metro bus during his tenure,” Tarar said while alluding to PTI’s founder and former chairman Imran Khan.

He said that financial corruption and irregularities have increased in the province under PTI. “A suspicious payment of Rs510 million was made in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” He also said that the debt burden of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is Rs75 billion.

“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has not taken any steps to reduce inflation in the province,” he said, adding. “What wrong have the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa done for the provincial government to take it out on them?”

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He said that the education sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been destroyed, “teachers are [protesting] out on the streets.”

Speaking on the recent protests by the PTI, Attaullah Tarar said that members of PML-N have also suggested marching against PTI. “But we want the matter to be resolved with mutual understanding,” he added.

“[PTI] says that they we have reformed the police. If police reforms were have done, the law and order situation would not have been like this. Terrorists are roaming around in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Atta Tarar said.

He questioned on why didn’t the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government model their counter-terrorism department (CTD) on the same lines as Punjab. “Did they buy vehicles and weapons for the police in 11 years [of their government]?” he said.

Atta Tarar said that the Rescue 1122 service was the best plan ever conceived by PTI leader Chaudhry Pervez Elahi. However, he said, now the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rescue vehicles are being used for protest rallies and sit-ins. “When Kurram was burning, they were waging war on Islamabad,” Tarar said, adding, “Schools and hospitals in Kurram are closed, patients are crying.”

The information minister said that the PTI never forms committees to investigate irregularities because they themselves are involved in corruption. “They are purchasing new vehicles, while showing complete indifference to the suffering of their people,” he said.

“Who is supposed to answer for the timber and BRT scandal? Tarar said, adding, “I am not talking about politics, I am talking about administration.”

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He said that while the situation in Sindh is also not ideal, they are working with good intentions and it shows. “Some journalists went to Sindh to observe the government projects. Get the footages from them and watch them. They are trying to turn Sindh into a modern province,” he said.

Information Minister Tarar added, “[PPP Chairman] Bilawal Bhutto is our ally and brother,” and small skirmishes between allies do not hold much importance.