Imran slams Centre’s excessive loans, expenses

PESHAWAR:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan slammed the federal government for already taking $4 billion worth of loans in just two-and-half years’ time. He questioned where all the money had been spent.

The PTI chief pointed out that roads and construction of tall buildings would not bring real change to a nation. He said human development was necessary to make a positive impact. He said the federal government had made Rs11 billion profit thanks to the drop in global oil prices and asked where this money had gone.

Imran was inaugurating the Bab-e-Peshawar flyover at Hayatabad Phase-III Chowk in the city and said the construction would resolve traffic issues. The first of its kind two-level flyover in K-P was completed in a record six-month period at a cost of Rs1.7 billion. Around 100,000 vehicles would pass over the structure on a daily basis.

“Construction work on the flyover started on August 15, 2015, and it faced problems initially as work was delayed,” said Hasan Saleem Wattoo, DG, Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), in his presentation.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the PTI chief congratulated Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan, National Logistics Cell (NLC) and DG PDA for the construction of this mega project in record time. He said the flyover was constructed on the Hayatabad-Jamrud Road and the contract was awarded to NLC.

JI Ameer Sirajul Haq, K-P CM Pervez Khattak, Provincial Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Minister for Local Government Inyatullah Khan, parliamentarians, K-P Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan, NLC and PDA representatives were present at the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2016.