CM accuses Centre of usurping rights of smaller provinces

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Monday accused the federal government of usurping the rights of smaller federating units. 

This he said in an interview to two private Pashto television channels, said an official hand out. The chief minister also presided over meetings to review pace of progress on development strategy of the province.  He also met a delegation of Nowshera at the Chief Minister’s House.

The chief minister said his party had decided not to attend the joint session of the Parliament. However, his decision to stay away from the meetings held for president of Turkey was because of the reality that it was simply a family affair. 

The chief minister said when the foreign dignitaries visited Pakistan, they were confined to Islamabad and Lahore. To a question, the chief minister said he would go to any extent to gain the constitutional rights for the province.

He said he interacted with the police force of Scotland Yard during his recent visit to the United Kingdom and asked them certain questions about the use of force. “They told me that use of force against the peaceful demonstrators is actually the abuse of power. They never use power against the peaceful demonstrators,” he added.

The chief minister said that his government rose against all forms of corruption. He said he was comfortable with the Jamaat-e-Islami in running the affairs of the province. “Both the political forces have a clear stance on corruption. However, both have different political platforms to fight it out,” he added.

He made it clear that he never opposed the central route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor but wanted the prime minister to fulfil all the commitments he had made to the province’s leadership for making western route part of the CPEC. He said the prime minister should convene a meeting of all the political leaders and convince them on the CPEC.

Meanwhile, the chief minister discussed the local government plan for the devolution of power and authority at the grassroots, adding that one third of the total Annual Development Plan of the province, ie approximately Rs35 billion, had been given to the district governments.

The chief minister said that his government brought to an end to political meddling in the institutions, making them responsive to the public aspirations. He said that the provincial government laid the foundation for a new Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and they would make a new Pakistan if the PTI was voted to power across the country.