F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak regretted “wrong perception kills” adding that his government worked on eliminating corruption, reducing crime graph, bringing transparency in the whole governance structure and eliminated political intervention in public sector institutions adding that the reforms brought about by his government enabled the institutions to efficiently deliver.
He stressed on the noble intention and the political will, required for the merger of FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His government’s investment friendly approach attracted mass scale foreign and domestic investment making the province the ultimate attractive destination for investment. His government had zero level tolerance to corruption. He also talked about the mainstreaming of Madrassa education in the province, adding his government was supportive of upgrading the syllabus of Madrassa education and would provide everything necessary for the present day education to the students of Madrassa in the province.
These remarks he made to a 4-member delegation of DFID Pakistan led by Ms Joanna Reid, Head of DFID at Chief Minister House Peshawar. ACS Shahzad Bangash, administrative secretaries and Head of SSU Sahibzada Saeed were present.
The Chief Minister said that his government worked on improving the governance structure because of the wrong image built up by the mess, the previous rulers created.
There were reasons to the wrong image and therefore his government addressed to the challenges that created the wrong image. With an improved security, reduced crime graph, improved law and order situation, depoliticized public sector institutions, good governance and above all our sacrifices for bringing back normalcy should have washed away the wrong perception about the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pervez Khattak talked about his government’s reforms that discouraged corruption and corrupt practices in the province.
The goals and the targets were clear and his government just put some safeguards for the efficient delivery giving no room for corruption.
The whole transformational exercise was executed and supported by different sets of legislations. It was the result of a collective team work. We did not bow out to any pressure and the change is now visible as per the promise of PTI.
The institutions started delivering and the people got satisfied. It is not the end but the beginning to corruption free and transparent governance leading to a prosperous and developed future of the province, he added.
Pervez Khattak said his government gave an investment friendly industrial and investment policy to attract mass scale investment to the province. The government had some agreements and MoUs with the foreign investors and on the basis of these activities, this province emerged to be the most attractive destination for investment in the backdrop of CPEC, he added.
Regarding the ideal policing, the Chief Minister told the delegates his government eliminated political interference conveying to the police against any third degree method in police stations. This changed the whole complexion of policing in the province and brought transparency and corruption free policing, he added.
On a question regarding the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Chief Minister spoke out his mind adding that he and the people on both sides of settled and tribal areas wanted a merger but this merger needed good intention on the part of the federal government. It is the easiest thing to do with the noble intention and the will to do and within a period of two months, the entire merger plan could be completed, he added. He said the existing governance structure and the policing could be extended within no time to tribal areas. He warned against any new experimentation in the whole merger process nor it should be delayed. He called a spade a spade and spoke out his mind with clarity.
Pervez Khattak was certain that his party would stage a comeback in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the basis of its performance adding that this performance would serve as the basis of PTI to win the coming elections with majority seats in the whole of the country. He was equally certain that there would be no competing political force with PTI in the elections.
On a question, the Chief Minister spoke about the KPEZDMC, the development of industrial zones in Reshakai, Haripur and D.I.Khan in the province adding that the investment and industrialization process would serve as the emergence of strong economic base of the province, it will create jobs to the jobless and bring overall development and prosperity to this neglected province, he added.
Chief Minister also talked about the road map for the rule of law directing the concerned quarters to finalize all features of the road map within three months that he added would serve the supremacy of law, he added.
The delegates recognized the yeoman service that the provincial government did in the short span of its rule. They hoped that their reforms, efforts for free corruption governance, better security, improved law and order situation, policing and improved governance structure would keep on changing the wrong image and wrong perception about the province.
