IDP assistance: PTI chief urges govt to immediately release Rs6 billion to K-P government

Khan says operation must be put on hold to facilitate civilians fleeing North Waziristan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has asked the federal government to immediately release Rs6 billion to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, Express News reported on Sunday.

In his press conference, Khan reiterated that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government should have informed the K-P government before starting the operation in North Waziristan so it could to adequately prepare for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

He said that 350,000 people have fled North Waziristan and the number is expected to double. "However, Bannu and other areas that people are fleeing to are not adequately prepared to accommodate them," the PTI chief added.

He said the operation must be put on hold to facilitate civilians and that the government’s allocation of Rs7,000 a month for the families is not enough.

Khan also asked the federal government to meet the provincial government to discuss IDPs and the security situation.

Demanding an increase in security in major cities across the country, Khan said that the government should prepare itself for reprisal from the militants.

"It is unfair to arrest Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers and the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to resign immediately over Lahore clashes," he added.