Govt should do work instead of reacting to criticism: Alvi

PESHAWAR: The President Dr Arif Alvi directed that Peshawar Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) project be completed by June next year.

Addressing a press conference alongside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman on Saturday, President Alvi said: “The merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) has happened and we have to constantly look at the problems in the region. We plan to spend Rs1,000 billion (Rs1 trillion) on the repair of the region.”

“No member of the Levies or special forces will be jobless. We will provide employment to 30,000 people,” he assured. The president continued, “Establishing the new South Punjab province is not going to be easy. There are problems there, including the distribution of assets, water and other issues,” the Geo News reported. 

“We will overcome these issues,” President Alvi vowed. The president further said, “We came to the realisation in Gilgit-Baltistan and Naran that construction without any planning destroyed the beauty of the region. Haphazard buildings destroyed Murree. We will try to promote tourism without affecting the natural atmosphere.” On the subject of missing persons, President Alvi said they needed to pay attention to this issue.

When asked to comment on Prime Minister Imran Khan's recent statement to use poultry to eradicate poverty, he said, “I did not advise the government about the chicken and eggs plan. I urge the PM and government to do their work instead of reacting to criticism.” In response to another question the president said, "There is no discussion over the termination of the 18th Amendment." The president noted that the tribal people have suffered massive losses due to the war against terror. He said compensating them for the losses and rehabilitating the displaced people is not an easy task.

He announced that election for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s general seats in the tribal districts would be held on July 25, 2019 after which the elected representatives would effectively highlight the problems of their areas in the provincial legislature. Alvi said the sacrifices of the people of Pakistan in the war against terrorism and the damage they sustained has no parallel in the history of the world. He said the security forces defeated the terrorists in Swat and repatriated the displaced people to their native areas in a short span of five months. “We are aware of the sacrifices of the tribal people and will not let injustice be done to them,” he added. He assured that the personnel of Levies and Khassadar forces would not be rendered jobless.

President Alvi said he was given a detailed briefing on the performance of the KP government in education, tourism and health sectors. He appreciated the steps taken by the government for the promotion of tourism and education. The tourism sector, he said, got a boost with the establishment of peace in the country. He pointed out that this could be gauged from the number of tourists visiting the scenic places in KP and Gilgit-Baltistan. The number of tourists to Gilgit-Baltistan had increased from 15,000 to 2.2 million in the recent past, he said, adding it has the potential to attract around 5 million tourists. Dr Alvi lauded KP’s Tourism Policy 2015 under which more facilities were made available to tourists.

The president expressed satisfaction over the education reforms undertaken by the KP government. “The introduction of a uniform curriculum in educational institutions is a praiseworthy step. The provision of facilities to girl students of madrassa schools was also appreciable,” he added. To a question, Dr Arif Alvi replied that bridging the gap between the Centre and the federating units and maintaining harmony among them is his prime responsibility. “I am playing this role effectively since assuming the office,” he said. He announced that he would sit at the President's office in the Parliament House once a week to help reduce the distance between the treasury and opposition benches. The President urged those at the helm of affairs in the KP government not to indulge in unnecessary criticism and concentrate on the resolution of problems being faced by the people. He said the Peshawar BRT project would become functional by June 2019 and help increase business and trade activities in KP besides creating jobs. The President said the administrative system of the tribal areas would be shifted to the provincial government on the pattern of Swat.

Earlier, President Dr Arif Alvi paid glowing tributes to Maulana Samiul Haq and said efforts are being made to bring his killers to justice. He was talking to reporters after offering condolences to Maulana Hamidul Haq at Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak here. The president offered fateha for the departed soul. President Arif Aliv said the services of the slain Maulana would always be remembered for spreading the message of Islam. He said that the Maulana also strived for the restoration of peace in the country. He recalled that he had a very good relationship with Maulana Samiul Haq, adding, he used to seek guidance from him over key national issues. He reiterated his government’s stance that no efforts would be spared to bring the perpetrators behind the assassination of Maulana Samiul Haq to justice.

Speaking on the occasion, former MNA and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami acting head Maulana Hamidul Haq thanked the president of Pakistan for sharing the grief of his family. However, he demanded the government to bring the perpetrators to justice forthwith. He said one month had passed but there has been no lead in the investigation into the murder of his father. Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Abdul Hameed Khan and District Police Officer Mansoor Aman received the president on his arrival to the district.

The President Arif Alvi visited the Bilour House to offer condolence to the family over the martyrdom of Haroon Bashir Bilour. Dr Arif Alvi was on his first visit to Peshawar after his election as President. Samar Haroon Bilour, widow of Haroon Bilour and an elected member of the provincial assembly, the deceased’s mother, ANP central senior vice-president Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, the party’s central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, provincial deputy general secretary Aimal Wali Khan and Haroon Bilour’s eldest son Danial Bilour were present on the occasion. Haroon Bilour was martyred along with 20 other party workers and supporters in a suicide attack on the ANP’s election meeting in the congested Yakatoot locality in Peshawar on July 10. He was a candidate for the provincial assembly. The seat was later won by his widow, Samar Haroon Bilour.