SWAT: Emir of Jamaat-i-Islami’s Malakand division and former provincial minister Inayatullah Khan accused the PTI government of stopping ongoing development projects worth Rs 42 billion in the region and freezing funds.
He expressed these views during a press conference at the Swat Press Club on Friday.
Emir JI naib and former MPA Syed Bakhtiar Mannai, general secretary Mohammad Haleem Bacha, former MPA Mohammad Amin, emir JI Swat Hamidul Haq and other local leaders were also present.
Inayatullah said the provincial government’s move had disenfranchised the region’s 10 million residents.
“The PTI government canceled development projects worth more than Rs 42 billion that were approved for Swat, Buner, Shangla, Dir, Malakand, Chitral and Bajaur districts. “The freezing of funds and the suspension of projects is an insult to the mandate of the local population, which is condemnable,” he stated.
He mentioned that the people of Malakand division had given their mandate to the PTI three times, but the party had done injustice to them. “The role of the PTI ministers and assembly members, elected thanks to the vote of the people, is extremely disappointing.”
Inayatullah said that for the first time in the history of the province, any government used batons against local government representatives and subjected them to violence. “Those who organized the sit-ins in Islamabad were depriving local government representatives of their democratic right,” he lamented.
He made it clear that if the government did not release funds and restore the already approved projects in Malakand, the Jamaat would launch a protest movement.
CLEAN SNOW ROADS: The road leading to Kalam Valley was cleared after heavy overnight snowfall on Thursday, allowing tourists to visit the area without any hindrance.
Meanwhile, a large number of tourists from various parts of the country started arriving in the valley to experience the snowfall firsthand.
Upper Swat Development Authority (USDA) spokesperson Saeedur Rehman said clearing of roads to Kalam and other tourist destinations had been completed. He added that heavy machinery was deployed to ensure roads remained clear.
He said USDA Director General Adnan Abrar and Swat Deputy Commissioner Shehzad Mahboob had been supervising the road clearing operation for the past two days.
“Earlier, two oil tankers heading to Kalam met with accidents due to slippery conditions, disrupting traffic. However, after three hours of continuous efforts, both tankers were safely removed and traffic was restored,” he explained.
Due to the large influx of tourist vehicles, the USDA spokesperson advised tourists to use snow chains on their vehicles to avoid any unfortunate incident.
Published in Amanecer, January 4, 2025.
