CM quashes K-P governor’s rule rumours
Chief Minister K-P Mahmood Khan
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has said that he will dissolve the provincial assembly as soon as directives are received from Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan.
He added that the provincial cabinet is united on this agenda and rumors of governor raj have no substance as the provincial government enjoys a two-third majority in the assembly.
On Thursday, he formally inaugurated the 10 MW Jabori hydel power project which has been completed at an estimated cost of Rs3.7 billion along with laying the foundation stone for the construction of 300 MW Balakot hydropower project in district Manshera, which will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs95 billion in seven years.
The chief minister also announced the establishment of a new Tehsil Tanawal in Manhera district.
The newly completed Jabori hydel power project is expected to generate Rs380 million in revenue each year whereas the Balakot hydel power project, once completed, will generate Rs15 billion in revenue every year.
The chief minister also performed the groundbreaking for the up-gradation of District Headquarters Hospital Abbottabad that will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs900 million and will include 215 beds, six dialysis units, six dispensary units and other allied facilities.
The chief minister also laid the foundation stone for Sherwan Adventure Family Park and cricket ground that will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs820 million in one year.
Addressing the inaugural ceremonies in district Abbottabad and Manshera, the chief minister maintained that the incumbent provincial government is taking pragmatic steps for uniform development of the province.
He said that practical steps are being taken for the production of cheap and clean energy in order to make the province financially self-sustainable and enable it to contribute to national development.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Power Transmission and Dispatch Company is being established through which people of the province will be provided with cheap electricity. Furthermore, the government is also working on increasing the provincial agricultural produce for which Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal has been approved, he announced.
The project will bring hundreds of thousands of barren land of the southern region under cultivation.
Khan announced spending of 10 per cent revenue from the Jabori and Balakot hydel power projects on the development of local areas along with provision of job opportunities for locals on non-technical posts in the two projects.
He maintained that the completion of hydel projects will usher a new area of prosperity and development for the locals, adding that the provincial government will also ensure provision of funds to LG representatives enabling them to work for the development of their constituencies.
He revealed that the incumbent provincial government has planned developmental activities for the next 30 years and despite financial constraints created by the ‘imported’ federal government, the development process will continue.
He criticized the federal cabinet for having no policy for public welfare, adding that they are merely busy looting the national wealth and abolishing corruption cases against them.
They are pushing the country towards default. However, the people of Pakistan will never allow them to succeed in their nefarious intentions, he added.
Speaker K-P Assembly Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, Provincial Minister Arshad Ayub, MNAs Ali Khan Jadoon, Saleh Muhammad Khan, Uzma Riaz, Advisor to Chief Minister on Home Baber Saleem Swati, Special Assistant Ahmed Hussain Shah, MPAs Akbar Ayub, Nazeer Abbasi, Qalandar Khan Lodhi, Momina Basit, Maleeha Ali Asghar, Tehsil Mayor Abbottabad Sardar Shuja Nabi and other political representatives were present on the occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2022.