Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Wednesday slammed previous provincial governments in the province for backwardness, corruption and destruction of institutions.
Addressing the people gathered at the inaugural ceremony of Canal Road in Charsadda, he said the political parties took vote in the name of religion and Pakhtuns, but always kept the people deprived of even their basic rights, he deplored.
He also regretted that certain politicians and their lackeys entered a plea bargain with the NAB, paid Rs 250million and were still out there making victory signs, not ashamed of their misdeeds and open corruption during their stay in power.
He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf came to power in the name of change and took various measures for transparency, merit and justice besides elimination of corruption, adding that today KP Police is role model for rest of the country.
He said the political interference in affairs of government departments, corruption and nepotism during the period of previous regimes totally destroyed the government institutions besides tarnishing image of Pakhtuns.
The CM said that PTI’s provincial government introduced a system that stopped the political interference in affairs of government institutions, especially police force, which helped police to emerge as a professional and role model force of the country.
He said reforms in KP police system made the force professional and improved its’ overall performance and regained public trust also.
He said that the system of usury was also eliminated from the society and curbed the exploitation of poor people. He said the change in KP would not be visible to those who were corrupt by themselves rather it is being felt by poor people.
He said PTI chief Imran Khan kept on asking to make KP people free from corrupt elements and system on permanent basis, and provision of basic rights to the youth and deserving.
Referring to the CPEC as game changer for the province, the chief minister said that a new era of development has begun in the province, adding that the Western route became an integral of the CPEC and that was of paramount importance for the trading and industrial activities in the province. Gilgit, Chitral-Chakdara has become an alternate route of the CPEC and this region is about to open to the world integrating the whole region through to the central Asian Republic.
He said this route would strengthen trade activities with Afghanistan, through Wakhan and to the entire central Asia and other adjacent countries. Agreement has been signed with China for the construction of industrial zones at Jalozai Motorway over four thousand kanal of lands. China has also expressed the desire to invest in Rashakai industrial estate and relocation of labour intensive industries.
He said his government was about to hold the road show by end of March this year in Beijing where we will market our hydropower potential, minerals, tourism, agriculture and other sectors. We are expecting 30 billion rupees investment in the KP in the foreseeable future, he said.
The chief minister said that in Peshawar we have three CPEC projects. Practical work on Rs40bn Rapid Bus Transit project will start in May this year. The traffic system will be integrated through eight routes from Chamkani to Hayatabad as 380 buses would run on this route. An international Bus Terminal is being constructed in Chamkani over 900 kanal to address the transport related problems of Peshawar city. All the bus stands would be shifted to the main terminal. CPEC tower would be established in place of the bus stand to be vacated.
Referring to the provincial rights the chief minister said he logically fought the provincial rights and succeeded to enhance the net hydel profit from 6 billion rupees to 18 billion rupees annually. The previous government failed on this front and the outstanding amount of Rs.99 billion was payable to the province in four equal installments out of which we got first installment and the rest would be paid to the province.
However, under the AGN Qazi Formula we would continue fighting our case to bring it to the logical conclusion. He said he also got the Chasma lift irrigation scheme, a project of Rs.120 billion for the province. The province would pay a share of 35pc, and 65pc share would be paid by the federal government. His government also succeeded to get its share of surplus gas that would be used for producing electricity, to be extended to the industrial zones on concessional rates.
The chief minister announced a developmental package for district charsadda that included the up-gradation of existing district hospital to A-category with all specialty and services.
He also announced a cricket ground and an international Park, Rs150m for the digital library of the college, Rs.50m for roads etc, 30m for electricity and sanctioning Rescue 1122 and other developmental schemes. He also inaugurated the Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex Charsadda. He also administered oath to the newly elected office bearer of trade union Charsadda.
