Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has expressed the resolve that the Federal Government, in collaboration with the military leadership, will work tirelessly to resolve the problems faced by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Presiding over a high-level meeting of the Federal Apex Committee in Peshawar today, he pledged that the government will bring back an era of happiness, peace and development to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He vowed to turn the dreams of prosperity cherished by the people of the province into reality.
The Federal Apex Committee meeting reviewed the overall security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the measures being taken to combat terrorism.
The Prime Minister highlighted the challenges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and stressed the need to restore peace and advance development.
The Prime Minister said he is deeply saddened over the tragic deaths of a female teacher and children in a school roof collapse incident in Peshawar.
Shehbaz Sharif said he had directed the Governor to visit the affected site immediately and ensure a comprehensive investigation into the tragedy.
Elucidating the circumstances that led to the imposition of emergency and Governor’s Rule, the Prime Minister observed that the circumstances over the past several years had severely affected and caused significant damage to law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a beautiful province inhabited by courageous and brave people. He further said that the government was compelled to impose emergency and Governor’s Rule in the province under the prevailing circumstances.
Paying rich tribute to the security forces, the Prime Minister said the valiant armed forces and security agencies rendered matchless sacrifices to eliminate terrorism from the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said complete peace was restored in the province by 2018 through the sacrifices of our security personnel, as well as our mothers, sisters and children. He mentioned that nearly 80,000 people were martyred and the country suffered economic losses worth billions of dollars during the war against terrorism.
Shehbaz Sharif said several political families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also rendered significant sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and lasting peace was achieved through immense sacrifices.
He recalled that after the restoration of peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, terrorists were rehabilitated during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, the unparalleled sacrifices rendered by the brave security forces and the people were undone, and the people of the province had to bear its consequences.
The Prime Minister said there can be no greater act against the national interest than failing to acknowledge and respect these sacrifices rendered by thousands of personnel of the security forces, who laid down their lives to safeguard the future of the nation.
He said public welfare sectors, including education, healthcare and security, were neglected during the PTI government’s tenure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and there could be no greater example of criminal negligence and insensitivity than ignoring these development projects. He said, as a result, terrorism once again escalated in recent years.
Counting the failures of the previous PTI government in the province, the Prime Minister said 5,000 vacancies in the police force were not filled during the previous provincial government’s tenure. The Safe City project remained incomplete. No attention was paid to the training of the Counter-Terrorism Department or the police force.
The Prime Minister recalled that under the 2010 National Finance Commission Award, all provinces collectively decided to support Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and agreed to provide resources to the province to combat terrorism.
Shehbaz Sharif said all the provinces collectively acknowledged that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on the front line of the fight against terrorism and that all the Chief Ministers agreed to provide an additional one percent of the funds allocated to the Federal Government and the provinces to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said since 2010, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was given 800 billion rupees under the NFC Award for counterterrorism efforts, but it is deeply regrettable that, instead of being eliminated, terrorism resurfaced with renewed intensity.
He said the security forces were not provided with adequate training, modern weapons or other necessary equipment, which was extremely painful.
The Prime Minister said the Federal Government had assured PTI Chief Ministers that it would stand alongside them in the fight against terrorism, but they did not pay any heed to it.
Shehbaz Sharif said over the past two and a half years, the government has worked tirelessly to revive the national economy, and through the relentless efforts of the country’s political and military leadership, the economy of the country has now gained stability.
He particularly mentioned that friendly countries and international observers have acknowledged that Pakistan has successfully revived its economy.
The Prime Minister said the Federal Government had constituted a political committee whose members worked hard during 48 hours of negotiations. The Prime Minister further said that he had consulted the President twice over the extremely deteriorating situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that tough decisions had to be taken in the province due to this situation.
He said the people of the province have been waiting for the last thirteen years for a solution to their problems and want basic facilities and essential services to be made available to them at their doorsteps.
The Prime Minister said an Advisory Council has been established, comprising experts from various fields, who are competent and honest. He said it is essential to ensure that this change delivers positive results.
He expressed confidence that by the grace of Almighty Allah and the collective support of the Apex Committee members, the overall situation, including the security situation, will improve.
Turning to the corruption of the previous PTI government, the Prime Minister said the party that secured votes in the name of eradicating corruption is itself mired in corruption and new stories of corruption have continued to emerge in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He mentioned that corruption amounting to 100 billion rupees surfaced in a clean drinking water project. He further said that corruption worth 37 billion rupees was uncovered in the Kohistan mega-scam, while contracts for the Placer Gold Project were awarded to favoured individuals.
Shehbaz Sharif said the law and the Constitution authorize the steps taken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He thanked all the coalition partners for their support regarding the decision. He expressed gratitude to President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif particularly in this connection.
During the Federal Apex Committee meeting, the Prime Minister was given a detailed briefing regarding the imposition of emergency in twelve districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi termed the cooperation by the Federation as essential for ensuring lasting peace and stability in the province. He said the process of peace and development cannot be jeopardized if all institutions are on the same page.
The Governor expressed the resolve that eliminating terrorists, their facilitators and abettors in the province is the top priority. He expressed gratitude to the federal government for extending cooperation for peace and stability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
During the special meeting of the Federal Apex Committee, glowing tribute was paid to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister for Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir Affairs Engineer Amir Muqam, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Leghari, Advisor to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, as well as top military leadership and senior officials from relevant institutions.