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MALAKAND, Jul 04 (APP):Coordinator to the Prime Minister for Information on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs, Ikhtiar Wali Khan here on Friday strongly criticized the PTI-led provincial government, holding it responsible for gross negligence and failure in the tragic incident that claimed the lives of 19 tourists in Swat.
Speaking at a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Youth Convention in Thana Jadeed village, Ikhtiar Wali claimed that the Swat tragedy has badly exposed the PTI government’s incompetence and maladministration in disaster response and management.
He questioned the absence of any immediate rescue operation as the tourists from Mardan and Punjab remained stranded in floodwaters for hours before being swept away one by one that saddened all.
“The provincial government failed to even provide a rope or deploy a helicopter,” he said, slamming the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister for “relying on hollow slogans” while helplessly citizens perished waiting for help.
He further accused PTI of using religious sentiments for political mileage, alleging that promises of building a ‘Madina-style state’ were never honored. “Not a single promise has been fulfilled — be it the construction of five million houses or the creation of ten million jobs by the PTI,” he added.
Ikhtiar Wali also lambasted the PTI government for plunging Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into heavy debt loans and failing to deliver in crucial sectors like education and healthcare. He said mismanagement and “unnecessary experiments” had derailed service delivery, while corruption scandals continued to emerge across the province.
Turning to national politics, he claimed that the Gandapur-led KP government would eventually collapse under the weight of its own misgovernance. He recalled that the PML-N government under PM Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had steered Pakistan out of IMF programs by 2016 and was on the path to making the country an economic power until it was “unjustly dissolved.”
He credited the Nawaz Sharif administration for strengthening Pakistan’s defense, stating that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the armed forces of Pakistan had successfully neutralized hostile threats of enemy during Operation Iron Wall.
He claimed that Pakistan Air Force jets had downed India’s Rafale aircraft in a recent confrontation, showcasing air superiority.
“The people of KP are disappointed with PTI and are now turning towards PML-N for meaningful development and positive change,” he said.
Ikhtair Wali assured that the PML-N, once in power in KP, would invest in education and bring lasting peace to Malakand.
He also highlighted PML-N’s previous development work, including the extensive motorway network from Peshawar to Gwadar and free medical services at Nawaz Sharif Kidney Hospital in Swat.
Concluding his address, he urged local PML-N workers to strengthen party organization in the region and pledged full support for resolving public issues.
The event concluded with loud slogans in support of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, and Ikhtiar Wali Khan