KP on track to development: CM

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday said that the public-friendly policies, sincere leadership and investment in human capital by the provincial government had put the province on track to development.

“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province will not only play a greater role in the national economy but will also become a role model for the establishment of an Islamic welfare state in the near future,” he said in a statement.

The chief minister said the government had adopted a comprehensive strategy for uniform development of the province to ensure long-term and sustainable development.

Mahmood Khan maintained that despite daunting challenges, the incumbent provincial government made the merger of the tribal districts a success story and had launched a comprehensive development strategy to compensate for the decades of exploitation of the tribal people.

However, he claimed, the stoppage of development funds and other budgeted transfers by the incumbent federal cabinet has raised serious concerns and fears of continued exploitation have resurfaced among the people of the merged districts.

He added that the provincial government was working beyond its capacity and was even spending billions of rupees from the provincial kitty to sustain the developmental initiatives in erstwhile FATA. He added that the federal government should fulfill its responsibilities and honour its commitments by providing the due financial share on a priority basis.

“Non-payment or delay of development funds for merged districts is causing financial problems for the provincial government and is setting back the development of the erstwhile FATA,” he said, adding, “We can never be successful without uniform development of the entire province, for which investment in every district and sector is indispensable.”

The chief minister said that short-term measures were imperative to provide immediate relief to the people, which were a permanent part of the provincial government’s strategy. “However, long-term planning is essential for solutions to the basic issues and sustainable development,” he said, adding, the incumbent provincial government had adopted long-term initiatives in all sectors which are yielding positive results.