Shehbaz Sharif Says Only a Few Examples of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Corruption Mountains Include Rs100 Billion Clean Water Project Scam

Peshawar (Qudrat Daily): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said that only a few examples from the mountains of corruption in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are extremely startling, including Rs100 billion corruption in the clean water project, Rs37 billion embezzled in the notorious District Accounts Office Kohistan, and billions of rupees in corruption through awarding gold project contracts to favorite individuals — these are just three examples so far.

According to details, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, in his opening remarks at a meeting of the Federal Apex Committee of the National Action Plan at Governor House Peshawar, said that Pakistan’s most beautiful province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where great and proud people live, his visit today was regarding the system whose implementation they were forced to carry out under extreme compulsion.

We pray to Allah Almighty to grant us courage and guidance so that together we improve the conditions of the province and set it on the path of development and prosperity.

May Allah Almighty grant the martyred teacher and children a place in Jannat al-Firdous in the recent tragic incident. I had asked the Governor to meet the heirs of the children and ensure a transparent investigation of the incident. I hope the Governor is giving full attention to this matter. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a highly important and strong wall of the beloved homeland, but unfortunately, in the past few years, such conditions have been created again here that the province is riddled with wounds.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that in 2017-18, the proud people here, law enforcement agencies, and the Pakistan Armed Forces jointly crushed terrorism and established peace across the country. For the establishment of this peace, 80,000 people sacrificed their lives and the national economy had to bear losses of hundreds of billions of dollars. After the peace established as a result of these great sacrifices, the manner in which these terrorists were called back here again watered down all the sacrifices.

I believe there can be no greater cruelty to this country than this. Our brave young men used to go after promising their parents they would return home soon, but they did not return. They left their children orphaned but saved millions of the nation’s children from becoming orphans. Not respecting such sacrifices is no less than enmity toward the country. Today we have to assess why this happened. Education, healthcare, and the protection of people’s lives and property were ignored.

As a result of the insensitivity and indifference of the past few years, terrorism has increased again. This is the painful story for which we have gathered here today.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that during the previous government’s tenure, 5,000 vacant police posts were not filled, Safe City projects were not completed, and adequate measures were not taken to enhance the capacity, training, and professional capability of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and police.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that under the 2010 NFC Award, it was decided to give Khyber Pakhtunkhwa one percent additional resources from the provinces’ share for the war against terrorism. From 2010 until now, more than Rs800 billion have been provided or are being provided under this head. What greater misfortune could there be than that, despite such resources, far from eliminating terrorism here, terrorism has raised its head again.

Moreover, the weapons, capability, and trained officers needed to counter terrorists were nowhere to be found.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that previously there was Gandapur and now there is Afridi. The Federation told both of them that we are one and together we will not only eliminate terrorism but, God willing, whatever resources we have for your province, we will lay them at your feet to the utmost extent, provided you use these resources transparently and take this province far forward.

But nothing happened in this regard. So when a political party descends into such enmity toward the country, will you sit idly by and watch the country being destroyed? This cannot happen, and no sensible person, no nation, and no society can tolerate such a serious joke with its people.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that if, leaving friends aside, even strangers are forced to say that Pakistan has stabilized its economy again in the most difficult circumstances and is about to move toward development, then at such a time, if terrorists roam freely in all areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and we remain silent spectators, then neither the nation will forgive us nor will Allah Almighty.

Therefore, we made a last effort and formed a team comprising the Muslim League (N) and the People’s Party. The members of this team worked continuously for 48 hours. Two important members, Mohsin Naqvi and Rana Sanaullah, are present here. They worked day and night. God is witness that their effort was to resolve this matter. But the story after that is known to everyone. These were the extremely serious circumstances on the basis of which we were forced to make this decision.

From Afghan soil, terrorism against Pakistan continues day and night. Terrorists from there carry out attacks in Pakistan and martyred innocent people, so until when will this cycle continue? It must be completely eliminated.

Honorable members, after consultation we decided to impose Governor’s rule here to improve the deteriorating conditions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Alhamdulillah, an Advisory Council has also been established, the majority of which consists of professional experts. Now it is their responsibility to work day and night under the leadership of the Governor to improve the province’s conditions.

For the past 13 years, the people of the province have been waiting for medicines in hospitals, better treatment, quality education, peace and order, reduction in corruption, and the provision of basic facilities.

God willing, with the help of Allah Almighty and the cooperation of all of you, significant improvement will be brought in security, economic, and social conditions.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that if I present before you only a few examples from these mountains of corruption here, they are startling examples of corruption. The Cities Improvement Project, which was a project for the supply of clean drinking water, had Rs100 billion in corruption.

Similarly, through the looting in the notorious District Accounts Office Kohistan, Rs37 billion of the province’s people were embezzled, but no one even asked. Then there is a gold project where contracts were awarded to favorite individuals and thus billions of rupees in corruption were committed there as well. These are the three examples I have presented before you that reflect the situation at this time.