K-P govt draws opposition flak over Tirah fiasco

Dr Ibadullah calls Khyber jirga a political show

PESHAWAR:

Leader of the Opposition in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Dr Ibadullah Khan, has strongly criticized the provincial government for turning the Tirah Valley situation into a political spectacle rather than addressing it as a serious security and governance matter.

Speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected cabinet of the Video Journalists Forum Tuesday, Dr Ibadullah said that what the Chief Minister held in Khyber was not a traditional jirga but a public rally. He accused the provincial government of engaging in politics over the Tirah issue, with the people of Tirah suffering the consequences.

The opposition leader alleged that during the tenure of the founding leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), over a hundred attacks occurred in the province, while the government and its founder were supporting terrorists. He recalled that when a regime change took place in Afghanistan, the PTI founder described it as a major victory. Dr Ibadullah further claimed that the PTI founder himself had stated that offices should be given to the Taliban.

He urged the Chief Minister to focus on resolving the people's issues instead of staging protests at chowks. Dr Ibadullah noted that after the Chief Minister's meeting with the Prime Minister, "everything became clear" to him.