The prime minister questioned the delivery of hospitals, universities and security projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while defending the Centre’s decision to impose governor’s rule and an emergency in the province.
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, questioning what the party achieved during its 13 years in power and whether provincial funds were transparently spent on public welfare.
Addressing a meeting of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) parliamentary party and office-bearers from KP in Islamabad on Saturday, October 31, the prime minister questioned the party’s record on education, healthcare, infrastructure and counterterrorism.
Shehbaz said PTI had made repeated promises to build dams, expand solar power generation and establish hospitals, universities and schools, but asked how many of those commitments had actually been fulfilled.
He questioned the number of new universities and hospitals established in the province, improvements in healthcare and the facilities provided to residents.
“From Peshawar to Kohistan and Hazara, and across the entire southern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the majority of people would tell you that the PTI government has done very little, if anything, to address their basic needs,” he said.
PM raises questions over KP funds and security projects
The prime minister also questioned how funds allocated to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been used, particularly resources intended to strengthen law enforcement and counterterrorism capabilities.
He referred to additional funding provided to the province under the National Finance Commission (NFC) arrangement and asked how many Safe City projects had been launched and how much had been spent on strengthening the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).
Shehbaz said that even if Rs80 billion had been spent on improving the police and other law enforcement agencies, the province’s security institutions could have been better equipped.
In a separate account of his remarks, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported that the prime minister said KP had received Rs800 billion under the NFC Award and questioned the use of those resources for security improvements.
Shehbaz links security concerns to governor’s rule
The remarks came after the federal government imposed governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11.
The Centre cited what it described as the provincial government’s disengagement from efforts to combat terrorism. The decision has been opposed by PTI and other political voices.
Shehbaz defended the move, saying the federal government had been left with no alternative and that delaying action could have resulted in further losses.
He also said the province had made significant sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. Referring to the national toll, he cited around 80,000 deaths and economic losses estimated at Rs15,000 billion. These figures were presented as the prime minister’s claims in his address.
PM recalls political tensions and failed negotiations
The prime minister criticised PTI’s protests and long marches, recalling the party’s 2014 sit-in in Islamabad.
He claimed the protest contributed to the postponement of a planned visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying the government had repeatedly asked PTI to end its sit-in to allow the visit to proceed.
Shehbaz also accused the party of failing to cooperate with the federal government on counterterrorism efforts. He referred to the return and resettlement of militants from Afghanistan in Swat, which he described as a factor behind the resurgence of terrorism.
The prime minister further recalled negotiations between government representatives and PTI. He said a committee comprising members of the PML-N and Pakistan Peoples Party had held discussions with the opposition, and that a draft agreement had reportedly been finalised.
However, he said the agreement was not approved by then-chief minister Sohail Afridi, leaving the process unresolved.
PML-N lawmakers urged to prioritise public welfare
Shehbaz directed PML-N lawmakers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to focus on immediate public needs rather than prioritising long-term projects.
He urged them to pursue short-term welfare initiatives that could improve conditions for residents over the next six months to a year.
The prime minister also acknowledged that stabilising the national economy would take time, despite what he described as progress by the federal government.
