Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Launches Solar System Project for Low-Income Families, Amidst Questions on One-Year Performance

On Wednesday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur officially launched the solar system flagship project for low-income families at the Chief Minister’s House. This project, which he had announced last year upon assuming office, is part of the PTI government’s larger development agenda for the province. However, the project has faced delays, as it took almost a year for its actual implementation.

While the provincial government has been showcasing this solar project as part of its one-year performance, several other initiatives included in the government’s report have yet to materialize, with many still confined to paperwork.

### Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government’s Claims
In February 2025, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government released a performance report to highlight its achievements over the past year, claiming that it had outperformed other provinces. According to Barrister Saif, a spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the performance report, published in book form, details public projects that were launched during the year.

The report mentions 25 significant projects across 25 sectors, including 625 public welfare initiatives led by Ali Amin Gandapur’s leadership. Among these, emergency services like Rescue 1122 were also included as part of the government’s performance.

### PTI’s 625 Projects
The government’s performance report lists several key public initiatives, including the health card program. The report claims that after assuming power, the PTI government reactivated the health card program, which had been suspended during the previous caretaker government, depriving citizens of free healthcare services. The government claims to have spent 20 billion rupees on this initiative between March and December 2024.

However, the reactivation of the health card came with significant changes, as many private hospitals were removed from the panel, and several large hospitals stopped providing treatment under the health card due to issues with reimbursement rates. Furthermore, due to additional fund shortages for expensive treatments like heart surgery, many operations in government hospitals have reportedly been delayed or canceled.

### Mega Projects and Unfulfilled Plans
The report also mentions the Health City mega project, which, like several others, remains only on paper, with no physical work having begun. Similarly, the life insurance scheme announced by Gandapur, which promises to offer 1 million rupees to the families of deceased individuals under 60 years of age, has yet to be implemented and remains a mere announcement.

### Public Sector Fund Allocations
The report also highlights the allocation of 5 billion rupees for the provision of medicines in hospitals and 1 billion rupees for the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). While these funds were released, they were not new allocations, as similar funds were provided in the past.

### Ramadan Relief Package and Other Initiatives
The Ramadan relief package, which was not controversial, was another key part of the government’s performance report. In the previous year, the government announced a cash package worth over 7 billion rupees, benefiting over 728,000 families. The same cash relief package was announced again this year.

Additionally, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government arranged special flights for Pakistanis stranded in Kyrgyzstan, spending 143 million rupees to bring 1,408 citizens back to Pakistan safely.

### Criticism of the Government’s Performance
Critics, including senior journalist Arif Hayat, have raised concerns over the government’s performance, pointing out that many of the claims in the report are mere announcements, and the actual implementation of projects is lacking. Hayat emphasized that while the PTI government has made some positive moves, such as restoring the health card and launching the Ramadan relief package, many claims in the one-year performance report appear exaggerated. For instance, emergency rescue activities were highlighted as a significant achievement, even though Rescue 1122 was originally introduced during the ANP government.

Hayat further argued that releasing funds for public institutions is not an achievement in itself, as these funds are typically allocated on a regular basis. He also criticized the PTI government for failing to deliver on its major projects, noting that if the PTI had indeed launched 625 projects in one year, the province would have seen visible and significant development.

In conclusion, while the provincial government claims to have initiated numerous projects, critics argue that most of them remain unimplemented, and the performance report is more about announcements than tangible results.