Peshawar:Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs, Engr Amir Muqam on Monday said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had observed Youm-e-Nijat after PTI provincial government was made non-functional following the imposition of Governor Rule and Emergency under the constitutional provisions.
Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, the federal minister said that people in various parts of the province distributed sweets and reports of fireworks were also received after the imposition of Governor Rule under the constitution.
He said no untoward incident had been reported from any district and that routine life and activities were continuing normally, which, he added, negated the claims being made by the PTI leadership.
‘People of KP want peace, employment and development rather than terrorism,’ Engr Amir Muqam said, adding that the people were also demanding accountability of all those responsible for misusing or looting provincial resources during the last two-and-a-half years.
He said peace and stability in KP had been put at risk by the previous provincial rulers, who, according to him, failed to effectively restore the writ of the state in several restive districts during their tenure.
The minister said the Federal Government was left with no viable option but to take constitutional measures, including the imposition of Governor Rule and Emergency, to restore the writ of the government and ensure protection of the lives and properties of the people.
Engr Amir Muqam said the people of KP had rejected the politics of negativity, aimless long marches and hollow claims of PTI, and welcomed steps of Federal Government aimed at restoring peace, stability and good governance in the province.
He said the Federal and provincial governments were on the same page in the fight against terrorism and all available resources would be utilized to defeat the menace with full might.
‘The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have rendered matchless sacrifices in the war against terrorism and it was held in high esteem,’ he said, regretting that the PTI rulers had failed to give due attention to the deteriorating security situation and repeated terrorist attacks.
He said the police and other law-enforcement agencies would be further strengthened by providing them with modern equipment, better training and other necessary resources to effectively combat terrorism.
Federal Minister Engr Amir Muqam said peace was the government’s foremost priority and every segment of society, from government institutions to the general public, would have to play a constructive role in achieving this objective.
He said an KP Apex Committee’s meeting attended by Federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi was held on Monday at Governor House Peshawar to deliberate upon the overall security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during which important decisions were taken to improve security and strengthen coordination among relevant institutions.
The federal minister said the people of KP had voted in the referendum in favour of Pakistan and demonstrated that their patriotism and love for Pakistan remained unshakable.
He advised political opponents to refrain from exploiting the Pashtun card for political purposes and instead focus on resolving the genuine problems faced by the people of the province.
Muqam said Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was personally monitoring the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federal Government would continue taking all necessary measures for the security and welfare of its people.
Responding to a question, he said containers placed at certain locations in Peshawar as a precautionary measure for the protection of lives and property had been removed and roads were now open for traffic.
He said the issue of flour shortage would also be addressed soon, adding that the government’s primary objective was to provide maximum relief to the general public.
The federal minister said the longstanding sense of deprivation among the people of KP would be addressed through concrete measures and efforts would be made to transform the province into a cradle of peace, stability and development.