KP govt has no performance to show: Muqam

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) provincial president of and Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Kashmir Affairs, and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam has criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accusing it of lacking performance even though the party has been in power here for 11 years.

Speaking to journalists at the Peshawar Press Club during a visit to congratulate newly elected office-bearers, he accused Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of diverting attention from the government’s shortcomings by repeatedly calling for protests.

Amir Muqam condemned the violence against local government representatives on the first day of the New Year.He criticized the use of tear gas against elected representatives, calling it a disgraceful act, and pointed out PTI’s “double standards,” stating that the party seeks conveniences for itself while denying others the right to peaceful protest.

The PMLN leader emphasized that local government representatives were not trying a takeover of Peshawar but raising legitimate demands for funds. In contrast, he alleged, the PTI’s protests were aimed at protecting a convicted criminal, which he described as unjustifiable.

He said that pardoning convicted criminals was not the jurisdiction of any committee but rested solely with the courts. “We faced dozens of cases and proved our innocence through the judicial system,” he added.

Amir Muqam rejected Gandapur’s claim that the federal government was withholding funds from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The claim is completely false,” he said, stating that divisible resources were being provided consistently every month.

“Had the federal government not released funds, the KP government would not have been able to even pay salaries,” he pointed out.Amir Muqam criticized the PTI past federal government for failing to allocate a single rupee for merged districts, while, he added, the PMLN was striving to secure the promised funds for the region.

In response to a question, Amir Muqam welcomed dialogue between the government and the opposition, reminding reporters that the PMLN had previously proposed a “Charter of Economy” during Shehbaz Sharif’s tenure as opposition leader.

He questioned the chief minister’s recurring disappearances upon reaching Islamabad, saying the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needed answers to that.The PMLN leader said that attacks on police and armed forces personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were rising.

But assured that any decision on the military operations would be taken with the province’s consent, emphasizing the importance of a collaborative approach to tackle security challenges across Pakistan.