Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Information for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs, Ikhtiar Wali Khan, on Sunday accused the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of neglecting public welfare in favor of political interests and engaging in divisive politics to create rifts among the people.
While speaking with a local news channel, Ikhtiar Wali Khan said the public in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was paying the price for the PTI’s political priorities, alleging that governance failures had pushed key institutions into crisis.
He pointed out that several universities and government departments across the province were on protest due to the non-payment of salaries, creating serious uncertainty for employees and students alike.
He further stated that despite worsening conditions, no meaningful relief had been announced for vital sectors such as health and education, leaving professionals and the general public struggling to cope.
The provincial government’s inaction had deepened public frustration and eroded confidence in its ability to address basic needs, he added.
Ikhtiar Wali Khan stressed that the administration must immediately shift its focus toward public welfare, warning that continued neglect of essential services would only aggravate the hardships faced by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Responding to a query, he said there was no discrimination in the allocation of funds among the provinces, adding that the real issue was prioritization, as only those governments that placed public welfare above politics were delivering results.
He also criticized PTI’s claims regarding local bodies, saying that the party’s statements were misleading and did not reflect the ground reality in the province.
On another point, he emphasized that discussions for public welfare and national unity were the need of the hour.
Separately, Awami National Party (ANP) leader Shagufta Malik has strongly criticized the provincial government, stating that the claims made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) remained mere words, with no visible development or meaningful reforms in the local government system.
Speaking on the Pakhtoon Digital Podcast here Sunday, Shagufta Malik said that after rainfall, the residents of Peshawar were forced to remain trapped inside their homes due to the city’s poor drainage system.
She added that schools, colleges, universities and offices were severely affected, leaving citizens deprived of basic facilities.
She remarked that the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) previously functioned effectively, but the current government avoided taking responsibility and relied only on hollow claims.
Despite spending billions of rupees, she said, the city’s drainage system remains dysfunctional.
Shagufta Malik further stated that instead of beautification, Peshawar had turned into a heap of garbage. Once known as Guloono Khar (the city of flowers), Peshawar has unfortunately become a city plagued by filth and unresolved basic issues, she added.
She also criticized PTI’s Billion Tree Tsunami project, calling it a slogan-driven initiative marked by poor planning and reckless misuse of funds, with little to show on the ground.