Noting that prolonged insecurity had deprived young people of educational and professional opportunities
KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: screenshot
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, responding to federal criticism over the disbursement of Rs 4,000 crore to displaced families of Tirah Valley, on Tuesday brought the focus back to the Centre. He cited an International Monetary Fund (IMF) “charge sheet” that allegedly identified Rs 5.3 trillion in corruption at the federal level.
“Why is no one talking about this huge figure mentioned in the IMF documents?” questioned the prime minister while addressing a convocation of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) in Peshawar.
“This smacks of double standards,” he added, calling the federal indictments a “political stunt” meant to distract from his own financial mismanagement and governance failures.
Referring to the province’s outstanding dues, the chief minister said the federal government owed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa billions of rupees in net profits from Hydel, which he said was the province’s constitutional right.
Positioning himself as a defender of the KP’s constitutional rights, the prime minister said that if it had been personal, he would not have met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the first place. “My personal likes or dislikes shall not hinder public rights.”
The Prime Minister made it clear that while he was willing to negotiate KP’s financial rights, his political loyalty to Imran Khan remained non-negotiable and described any federal strategy to subdue the province as “an illusion”.
Noting that prolonged insecurity had deprived the youth of educational and professional opportunities, he assured the students of his government’s efforts to close the gap.
Linking development and prosperity with sustainable peace, he said lasting peace was essential for progress and sincere efforts were being made to restore law and order.
He said without peace, development was impossible and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa would no longer be allowed to become an experimental ground.
