Bashir Hussain Azad
CHITRAL: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Chitral observed a “Day of Deliverance” following the imposition of emergency and Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the end of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s 13-year provincial rule.
PML-N leaders at a press conference called for accountability over alleged corruption and misappropriation of public funds by the ousted government, demanding that investigations should be initiated into the previous government’s development projects in Chitral.
Addressing the press conference, PML-N Lower Chitral President Advocate Abdul Wali Khan, Upper Chitral President and former MPA Saeed Ahmad Khan, Advocate Muhammad Kausar, Charvelu Noor Ahmad Khan, Imtiaz Khawaja, Khairuddin Shadani, Imran-ul-Mulk and others said people had faced difficulties over the past 13 years because of alleged corruption and poor governance under the PTI government.
They called for an impartial accountability of former rulers and all other officials found responsible for wrongdoing.
The speakers alleged that corruption had reached unprecedented levels during the PTI’s tenure. Citing the Chew Bridge project, they claimed that Rs3 million had been withdrawn from the national exchequer for dumping just three truckloads of soil at the site.
They also alleged that development funds had been misappropriated through fictitious projects and that government jobs had been sold.
PML-N leaders also urged authorities to accelerate the completion of ongoing road projects in Chitral, stressing that tangible progress on development schemes was essential to address the region’s longstanding underdevelopment.
The speakers paid tribute to the Pakistan Army, saying it had worked alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s civilian government to help the country navigate internal and external challenges.
They held the PTI leadership responsible for the province’s current situation, arguing that its policies had contributed to the circumstances leading to the imposition of emergency and Governor’s Rule.
A resolution adopted at the gathering called for MNA Ghazala Anjum to be included in the provincial council of the new provincial setup, citing her performance and arguing that the move would enable her to contribute to Chitral’s development and help address the area’s longstanding challenges.