Peshawar Qaumi Jirga flays PTI govt for failure to open BRT

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar Qaumi Jirga on Saturday flayed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government for failing to complete the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project on March 23.

Speaking at a news conference at the Speen Jumaat in the University Town, Qaumi Jirga Chairman Khalid Ayub and Spokesperson Arbab Khizer Hayat announced to take out a protest rally against the provincial government on Tuesday (March 26) for its failure to inaugurate the BRT project on March 23. The protest rally, they said, was meant to expose the real face of the provincial government and PTI leadership which was given a heavy mandate by the people in last general election.

Former MPA Alamgir Khalil, former minister Amanullah Haqqani, former provincial minister Kashif Azam, Atifur Rahman Khalil, Arbab Tahir, Misbahuddin and Haji Muhammad Afzal were also present on the occasion. Khalid Ayub said that the people in the provincial capital and political workers were united against the ‘failed policies’ of the KP government. Arbab Khizer Hayat pledged to protest against the alleged corruption, and failure of the PTI-led provincial government to operationalise the BRT project on the promised date March 23. He said the BRT had become a ‘white elephant’ as the project cost had crossed over Rs70 billion. The jirga demanded the National Accountability Bureau take notice of the corruption in the BRT project and bring to account former chief minister Pervez Khattak for the mess he had created.