Sirajul Haq says it is merging previous projects in order to make a larger programme.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Minister for Finance Sirajul Haq on Saturday categorically denied accusations of the Awami National Party (ANP), which claims the provincial government is trying to take credit for development projects started by the ANP-led coalition in the previous government.
ANP leader Senator Zahida Khan had earlier claimed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was changing the names of development projects the previous government had initiated. “The government is changing the names of Bacha Khan Khpal Rozgar Scheme and Bacha Khan Model School in Lower Dir. These projects were initiated for the public’s benefit and the government should work for the welfare of the people instead of focusing on such things,” she had said.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Sirajul Haq acknowledged the previous ANP-Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) coalition government had started small projects in the education sector and to increase employment. These included ‘Hunar Mand’ and ‘Bacha Khan Khpal Rozgar’ scheme.
However, he denied the government was trying to take credit for those projects. “The current PTI-led government has decided to merge these projects and make it into a major programme called ‘Khud Kafalat Scheme,’” he said.
The minister added the project was introduced in the annual budget for 2013-2014 and later approved by the provincial assembly and included in the Annual Development Programme (ADP).
Haq explained Jandol High School was part of the ADP and approved by the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) government in 2006. “Interestingly, the school was named Sirajul Model School by the MMA government, but the name was later changed because the locals demanded it,” he said. “The issue of renaming does not need to be politicised,” urged Haq.
However, resentment over the school still seems to persist. PPP Provincial Council Member Advocate Alamzab Utmani blamed both Jamaat-e-Islami and ANP of making it a political issue for the past eight years as the school had to be shifted from Timergara city to Jandol sub-division in Lower Dir.
“We will welcome Sirajul Haq here (Timergara) if he transfers Jandol High School for Boys back to Timergara,” said Advocate Utmani.
He termed the shifting of the school to another subdivision as the negligence of former ANP leader Hidayatullah Khan, who served as the livestock minster at the time.
During its tenure in the government, the ANP had started various projects and established institutes named after ANP leaders. The institutes include Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Bacha Khan Medical College Mardan and Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan. The employment scheme the ANP launched was the Bacha Khan Khpal Rozgar Scheme while it also renamed Peshawar International Airport as Bacha Khan International Airport.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2013.
COMMENTS (2)
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ANP stance is a foolish stance because they should only have cried if PTI had changed the name to something like Insaaf model school or Imran khan model school.
I have never heard of Queen Elizabet university or somthing like that. i dont know where this trend is coming from