It noted that prolonged insecurity had deprived young people of educational and professional opportunities
KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: Screengrab
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, responding to federal criticism over the disbursement of Rs 4 billion to families displaced from the Tirah Valley, on Tuesday turned the spotlight back on the Centre. He cited an International Monetary Fund (IMF) “charge sheet” that allegedly identified Rs 5,300 billion. in corruption at the federal level.
“Why is no one talking about this massive figure mentioned in IMF documents?” asked the chief minister while addressing a convocation of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) in Peshawar.
“This reeks of double standards,” he added, calling the federal allegations a “political gimmick” intended to divert attention from their own economic mismanagement and government failures.
Referring to the province’s outstanding dues, the chief minister said the federal government owed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa billions of rupees in net hydel profit, which, he said, was the province’s constitutional right.
Positioning himself as a defender of KP’s constitutional rights, the chief minister said that had he been in person, he would not have met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the first place. “My personal likes or dislikes will not stand in the way of public rights.”
The chief minister made it clear that while he was willing to negotiate on KP’s economic rights, his political loyalty with Imran Khan remained non-negotiable and described any federal strategy to pressure the province into submission as “wishful thinking”.
Noting that prolonged insecurity had deprived young people of educational and professional opportunities, he assured students of his government’s efforts to bridge the gap.
Linking development and prosperity to sustainable peace, he said that lasting peace was essential for progress and that there were sincere efforts to restore law and order.
He said without peace, development was impossible and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa would no longer be allowed to become a testing ground.
