Saif says Maryam replicating KP govt projects

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government said on Wednesday several welfare-based projects had been launched and implemented in the province which were being replicated in Punjab under different names. 

“The federal government led by Imran Khan in the past and the KP government launched several projects geared towards the welfare of the people including those about health and housing.

The Punjab government is replicating these schemes under different names,” Adviser to KP Chief Minister on Information, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif. He was reacting to statements by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) chief and former three-time prime minister, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz who during a function in Lahore had flayed Gandapur for leading protests to Punjab and advised him to instead focus on the welfare of KP people.

The PMLN chief had accused the KP chief minister of trying to pit the people of the two provinces against each other by resorting to such tactics.He had also advised the KP government to work for the welfare of the people of the province instead of indulging in activities that were not productive.

Responding to the criticism of the KP government by Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, the KP government spokesman said it seemed that Ali Amin Gandapur had gotten on the nerves of both Nawaz and Maryam.

He defended Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for PTI protests in Punjab. “Gandapur goes to Punjab for protests which is his democratic and constitutional right,” he said. The KP government spokesman alleged that the federal Interior Ministry had written to the KP chief secretary, asking the KP government to take action against the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) after accusing the party of being involved in promoting anti-state narrative and spreading racial hatred.

Barrister Saif defended the KP chief minister for meeting PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen as the latter had briefed the former on his demands.He said Gandapur had assured Pashteen of carrying out development work in the merged districts and resolving their issues on a priority basis.