JI leader blasts KP govt for ‘ignoring’ Malakand Division

MINGORA: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) head for North Inayatullah Khan on Friday criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for its biased attitude towards Malakand Division.

“The population of around 10 million has been totally ignored by the provincial government,” he told a press conference at the Swat Press Club here.The JI leader accused the PTI government of halting development projects worth over Rs42 billion and withholding essential funds allocated for the region.

Other senior party leaders, including Syed Bakhtiar Maani, former MNA Muhammad Amin and General Secretary Muhammad Haleem Bacha, the former provincial minister expressed his dismay at the PTI government’s actions.

He said that the ongoing development projects in the districts of Swat, Buner, Shangla, Dir, Malakand, Chitral and Bajaur had been scrapped, undermining the region’s progress and prosperity.

Inayatullah Khan also condemned the PTI government’s decision to freeze the funds, stating that the people of Malakand Division had supported the party three times in a row, only to be met with neglect and broken promises. He also criticised the PTI-affiliated local government representatives and members of the provincial assembly for failing to advocate for the interests of the people of Malakand Division.

“The PTI government has insulted the mandate of the people by freezing the development funds and abandoning vital projects,” he said, adding, “This is a betrayal of the trust placed in them by the people of Malakand.”

The JI leader also came down hard on the provincial government for denying funds and powers to the local government representatives. “The local government representatives were subjected to baton-charge and tear gas to raise voice for their rights,” he went on to add.

He lamented that the PTI used to organise protests in Islamabad for the rights of local governments, but now was stripping them of their democratic rights. The JI leader declared that the party would launch a large-scale protest movement if the government did not restore the funds and revive the development projects. Inayatullah Khan also suggested convening an all-party conference and other options to hold the government accountable for its actions. “We will not tolerate this injustice. The JI will launch a protest movement If the demands of the people of Malakand Division are not met,” he added.