Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that he would work with the military leadership to address the difficulties facing residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a province he said had endured years of unrest and neglect.
Speaking at a meeting of the federal Apex Committee at the Governor House in Peshawar, Sharif said emergency and governor’s rule had become necessary under “extreme compulsion”. He hoped the step would help bring peace and development to the province.
Prime minister links KP unrest to past six years
Sharif said the province had been badly hit by developments over the past six years, which he said had weakened law and order. He added that the economy had stabilised thanks to the efforts of political and military leaders, and that joint action was needed for lasting progress.
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He also said residents had been left without solutions to their basic problems for 13 years. In his view, the latest changes must deliver tangible benefits for ordinary people.
Armed forces praised as federal funding draws scrutiny
Sharif paid tribute to the armed forces and other security institutions for their sacrifices in eliminating terrorism. He said failing to recognise those sacrifices amounted to hostility toward the country.
He said the federal government had provided Rs800 billion for counterterrorism in KP since 2010, yet terrorism had resurged despite that funding. He asked how long the federal government could simply watch the province suffer violence and instability, adding that he had consulted the president twice before taking difficult decisions.
PM alleges graft and unfair placer gold contracts
Sharif accused the PTI government of neglecting education, healthcare and other public services, calling this a serious case of negligence. He said corruption scandals had surfaced in KP in recent years, pointing to Rs100 billion linked to a clean drinking water project and a separate Rs37 billion scandal in Kohistan.
He further said contracts under the placer gold project had been awarded to favoured parties in violation of established principles.
