PTI continues anti-ANP tirade, but unable to prove corruption charges

MARDAN: Though the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had accused the previous Awami National Party (ANP) government and former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti of committing corruption and pocketing funds meant for undertaking uplift work during his stint, the PTI-led provincial government has yet to file any reference against and prove anything against him.

The PTI and some of its ministers have been alleging that the ANP-led provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa led by Ameer Haider Hoti committed corruption by selling government jobs and contracts for uplift projects. Provincial Minister for Education Mohammad Atif Khan and District Development Advisory Committee Chairman Iftikhar Ali Mashwani, Member National Assembly (MNA) Ali Mohammad Khan and other elected PTI representatives from Mardan have been repeatedly accusing Ameer Haider Hoti and ANP office-bearers of corruption running into billions of rupees. 

It may be noted that former federal minister Khwaja Mohammad Khan Hoti had also levelled allegations of corruption against the ANP government when differences cropped up between him and late Mohammad Azam Khan Hoti, father of the then chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti.

Khwaja Hoti, who later quit the PTI,  claimed that he had more than 100 files of the corruption of Ameer Haider Hoti and some of the ANP leaders and office-bearers. He promised to hand over the files containing “evidence” to the National Accountability Bureau when ANP rule came to an end. However, after the death of Azam Hoti, Haider Hoti and Khwaja Hoti reached a compromise and the issue was solved.

Education Minister Atif Khan, who belongs to Mardan, Iftikhar Ali Mashwani and other elected representatives of PTI in Mardan in their speeches made similar allegations against Ameer Haider Hoti and other ANP leaders. However, they have yet to present any evidence to prove their claims or take practical steps to bring the ANP leaders to justice.

At the recent Raiwind public meeting, PTI Chairman Imran Khan focused on Nawaz Sharif when accusing him of involvement in corrupt practices while the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa led by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak made accusations of corruption against the ANP leaders.

Political observers said the provincial government should take action against the corrupt elements instead of making accusations for the last three years as this would not serve any purpose.