PESHAWAR – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has issued a sharp rebuttal to Federal Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, accusing the federal administration of misrepresenting facts regarding the Tirah displacement and the financial neglect of the merged districts.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information, Shafiullah Jan, stated on Tuesday that the federal government’s “duplicity” regarding the humanitarian situation in Tirah has been exposed. He argued that while the provincial leadership takes practical steps, federal ministers are attempting to mislead the public through contradictory statements.
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Financial Breakdown: Relief vs. Rhetoric
Addressing the Tirah displacement, Shafi Jan highlighted a significant disparity in relief efforts. He confirmed that the provincial government has already released Rs. 4 billion in timely relief funds for families forced to migrate from the valley due to security concerns.
Jan challenged Defense Minister Khawaja Asif to provide a transparent account of federal contributions, noting that the federal government has only released Rs. 56 billion out of the Rs. 292 billion allocated for the merged districts in the provincial budget.
“The lack of schools, police stations, and hospitals in the merged districts is a testament to federal failure,” Jan remarked, adding that the federation has maintained financial control over these areas for 78 years.
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The “Rokhana Qabail” Development Initiative
Despite the federal funding constraints, Shafi Jan emphasized that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi remains committed to the region’s progress. To mitigate the impact of the Tirah displacement and broader regional poverty, the Chief Minister has announced the “Rokhana Qabail” package.
This Rs. 1,000 billion developmental project aims to:
- Establish modern infrastructure in the tribal belt.
- Bridge the decades-long developmental gap.
- Ensure basic amenities reach the doorstep of the displaced populations.
Political Critique and Allegations
The Special Assistant further criticized the Defense Minister’s recent press conference, citing a “clear contradiction” between his parliamentary speeches and his public claims. Jan suggested that the federal cabinet is acting out of “political revenge and bias,” which ultimately harms the residents of the merged districts.
He concluded by asserting that “baseless press conferences” cannot hide the federal government’s inability to support the victims of the Tirah Valley displacement or fulfill its financial obligations to the province.
