Muqam blasts KP govt for ‘lacklustre’ response to issues

PESHAWAR: Criticising the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for its ‘lacklustre’ response to issues, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader Amir Muqam on Saturday said that there was a tug-of-war for power and scandals were surfacing every day in the province.

Speaking at a press conference, he said the country was on the verge of default when the PMLN-led government formed the government.

However, he said, the country was saved from default due to the efforts of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. He said the economic situation had improved during the PMLN government. He said though the people were facing inflation, the government was making efforts to provide relief to them.

The prime minister desired to reduce the cost of electricity and gas and restore peace, he added. However, he said the country’s resources were the hurdle in providing relief to the people and added that the government was taking steps to make life easier for the have-nots within the available resources.

He said despite hardships, the economy was stabilised as the dollar rates had stopped fluctuating on a daily basis, adding that further stability would be noticed with the passage of time.

He also appreciated the army chief for playing a role in bringing stability to the country’s economy.

To a question, he said that corruption was rampant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and threatening language was being used against political opponents but no work was being done for the benefit of the poor.

The PMLN leader said governance was a serious business but the provincial government’s approach appeared non-serious. “The KP government appears to be hesitant in taking action against terrorists,” he added.

He said the provocative speeches would not achieve any objective, adding that it required strenuous efforts to restore peace. He said the police, FC, and army had rendered matchless sacrifices for the restoration of peace.

He compared the steps of the Punjab government with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the provision of facilities to law-enforcement agencies. He said that every department in KP was facing scandals. Every department, including education, forest, and health, had become a hub of corruption, he said.

The PMLN leader said that they were against selling the land of universities. “When would Imran Khan turn the Governor’s House and Chief Minister’s House into universities,” he said, referring to Imran Khan’s previous claims about establishing universities in these places.

He said the KP government had appointed their own man as head of anti-corruption who was making cases on the basis of political affiliation. The PMLN leader questioned the PTI government’s performance in electricity generation. “How many megawatts of electricity have been generated in PTI’s three terms?” he questioned.

He said the PTI leadership was busy mudslinging but their own performance was zero. He said the PTI had crossed all limits in propaganda against the army. He said that mafia and smugglers were active in the province. He said the provincial government was not serious in the appointment of chief secretary and IGP as it had sent only one name for each post.