Civil society, KQJ announce joint ‘Peshawar Qaumi Jirga’

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: Representatives of various political and religious parties, trade unions, and members of civil society and Khalil Qaumi Jirga announced joint “Peshawar Qaumi Jirga” while terming the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project – a venture of corruption and destructive for the people of Peshawar, have announced to launch a campaign against the mega corruption scandal and convene All Parties’ Conference (APC) and grand Jirga here on march 12, Tuesday.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Khalil Qaumi Jirga had earlier announced to stage protest on March 23 in front of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office against the alleged corruption in the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and the delay in its completion. They had also warned that the main Jamrud Road in Peshawar would be blocked as a mark of protest.

In this connection, the “Peshawar Qaumi Jirga “ convened a meeting of all the political parties, trade unions, and members of the civil society organization here at a local hotel on Thursday. In the meeting besides others, former provincial minister and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Amanullah Haqqani, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Arbab Khizer Hayat, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ex-minister Kashif Azam, ANP ex-MPA Alamgir Khalil, PPP’s Arbab Zarak Khan and ex-MPA Atee-ur-Rahman Khalil, civil society member Malik Meher Elahi, central president Tanzeem-i-Tajiran, Ihtisham Haleem – founder member of Small Traders, Khalid Ayub president Karwan organization, Mujeebur Rahman president Cantt Trader’s Union, and Traders’ Peace Committee, University Road president Amir Nawaz Khan Afridi and others attended the jirga.

A member of the jirga informed that in the meeting member of the jirga were unanimous that BRT project is disastrous for the people of Peshawar, and a mega corruption scandal. The project cost, he informed gone up from Rs 60billion to over 100billion, while the structure of university road was badly shattered.

The jirga members, he said were of the view that it is responsibility of a government to extend relief to its people, but here the PTI led provincial government pushed the people of Peshawar in damnation in the shape of BRT, he added. They also termed the inauguration of the incomplete BRT project on March 23, a drama, adding it just to deceive innocent masses.

The jirga member, Arbab Khizer Hayat claimed the total cost of BRT has soared to more than Rs100 billion and this money would come from the poor man’s pocket. He said BRT project has turned life miserable for people of Peshawar. He alleged that former chief minister Pervez Khattak should be made accountable for the rise in the cost of the BRT project and the delay in its execution.

The jirga announced forming a non-political “Peshawar Qaumi Jirga” to convene the APC and pledged take to the streets to protest against the PTI government if it failed to operationalise the BRT by the promised date.