PESHAWAR:Despite enjoying two-third majority in the then Khyber Pakthunkhwa Assembly, the Chief Minister KP’s advise to Governor for dissolution of the provincial assembly was being considered an irrational decision and beyond understanding in the wake of current geo-political and economic challenges.
The experts said the PTI’s illogical decision would have serious political and economic repercussions in the aftermath of post-flood era and the province’s politics in future and would likely face peoples’ wrath in upcoming elections due to its poor performance in the last ten years.
Following the signing of the dissolution summary of the assembly by the governor KP today, the provincial assembly was now stand dissolved, cabinet ceased to hold office and the process of formation of caretaker setup was started in the province.
“The PTI leadership including CM Mahmood Khan has made a ‘big political blunder’ by dissolving the provincial assembly as it passed a wrong message and shattered people’s confidence,” said Ikhtair Wali Khan, former MPA and PML-N KP spokesman while talking to reporter.
He said that there was no justification of the assembly dissolution on the part of PTI as only few months were left in the general elections and such illogical decisions were always counterproductive.
With the dissolution of KP Assembly, he said a ten years long era of negativity, hallow sloganeering and poor performance of PTI came to an end in KP that was also warmly welcomed by the voters from Chitral to DI Khan.
“For the sake of one individual’s ego and stubbornness, CM KP had sent summary for dissolution of the Assembly, negating the sanctity of votes, parliamentary and democratic norms besides shattering the people’s confidence,” he said.
He claimed that PTI had left thousands of flood victims alone in the harsh weather by sacking its own government and deprived millions of people of assistance, relief and rehabilitations in this hour of need.
He said neither the promise of construction of five million houses was fulfilled nor 10 million jobs were provided despite tall claims of PTI leadership. Ikhtair Wali said due to poor planning of the PTI government, over 100 small dams were washed away by the last year floods while 10 billion trees project was taken over by the NAB KP, thus exposing Imran Niazi good governance claims.
Wali claimed that the size of the federal development budget was Rs1 trillion in 2018 and when coalition government took over in April 2022, it came to know that PTI government cut it short to Rs 550 billion.
He said the former PTI government had failed to complete up-gradation work on Arbab Niaz International Cricket Stadium at Peshawar, thus depriving youth from sports. The initial cost of Arbab Niaz stadium was almost doubled and reached to around Rs2 billion and was unlikely to complete on set deadline i.e. June this year.
Wali said unnecessary delay in completion of Kalam sports stadium Swat district has also increased its cost to about Rs 2 billion, adding construction work was yet to begin on the project that was unlikely to complete in two years.
Despite of KP-Fata merger, he said that PTI had failed to address problems of poor tribesmen and was deprived of socioeconomic development despite provision of huge financial resources to the PTI’s government.
Riaz Khan, a former PST teacher and resident of Nowshera along with others supporters of PTI were very disappointed over the dissolution of the assembly and termed it a childash decision. He said thousands of flood victims in KP were looking for government assistance in this hour of need and there was no the need of the Assembly dissolution in this situation,” he said.
Engr Amir Muqam, Provincial President Muslim League (N) KP and Prime Minister’s Adviser said in a statement here that today was a day of salvation for the people of KP from the incompetent and corrupt rulers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the PTI government and Imran Niazi gave nothing to people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but distress, desperation and negativity, adding neither 350 dams were constructed in KP nor was the economy put on the path of self sufficiency in the province.
“Though we have been liberated from the corrupt PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but there were no resources in the province to pay the salaries and pension of the staff due to poor economic policies of the incompetent rulers,” he remarked.
He said during PTI’s rule in Center, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, Imran Niazi had failed to initiate mega projects for the welfare of the people and the excessive cost of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Peshawar was a living example of the corruption of Imran led PTI.
During the last ten years, the official helicopter of the province was used like a rickshaw by the PTI leadership including Imran Khan that caused a loss of about Rs 1 billion to the KP exchequer.
Governor Khyber Pakthunkhwa Ghulam Ali said that he had used the constitutional powers to dissolve the provincial assembly after receiving the advice of the Chief Minister KP. He vowed that both the caretaker chief minister and provincial ministers would be appointed in line of the constitution, he told media here.
The Governor said that nominations had been sought from Mahmood Khan and Leader of the Opposition Akram Durrani for appointment of the caretaker chief minister, adding that if both the leaders were not agreed on a name then he would use his constitutional powers in this regard.