A game of words: Khattak reiterates promise of Hazara province

Also announces several uplift schemes worth millions for the region in next budget.

ABBOTABAD:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister (CM) Pervez Khattak has reiterated his promise that the resolution on Hazara province would be tabled and approved from the provincial assembly with majority votes.

“We will honour our word in getting the resolution approved, and then we will see how sincere Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is to the cause,” said Khattak while addressing the participants of a public meeting. Former federal minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon arranged the meeting where his son, Ali Khan Jadoon, announced joining Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) along with hundreds of his supporters.

The set list

Khattak said he has written to the prime minister for total control of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), as the PTI government is committed to ensuring cheap and equal provision of electricity to the people. Calling the Pesco chief, and the federal water and power minister “thieves”, Khattak claimed his government offered them assistance, by way of police and magistrates, to help curb power theft. But the Pesco staff is not even willing to step out of their office to take affirmative action, which, the CM stated is indicative of them being involved in the theft.

Talking about putting an end to the ‘thana culture’, the CM said he had fully empowered the K-P IGP. “I have asked him to deliver, otherwise the power conferred on him will be taken back.”

Moving on to the menace of corruption, the CM asked Commissioner Hazara to seal the houses of all government officials who are posted to Torghar, but are drawing salaries while sitting in Abbottabad and not performing their duty.  Khattak pledged his party’s resolve of ending malpractice: “Anyone from the K-P government ever caught receiving a bribe will be hung upside down.”

Speaking about the new local bodies system, he said it would empower people to the extent that they will get substantial funds for resolving their own problems at their doorstep. At least 18,000 new teachers were being employed across K-P for the improvement of the education department, while the issuance of free medicines to the public at government health facilities has already started, claimed the CM.

Khattak announced uplift schemes for Abbottabad district which included constructing Abbottabad University, Rs25 million for graveyards, Rs15 million for development schemes for each MPA from Abbottabad, a by-pass road for Galiat, two by-pass roads for Abbottabad, the upgradation of civil hospitals in Havelian and Boi, Home Economics College for Women in Abbottabad, a vocational college for all provincial constituencies of the district, and starting Rescue 1122 and a traffic warden system in the next budget.

The CM also announced Rs10 million for a media colony in Abbottabad and Rs2.5 million for the welfare of journalists.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2014.