JHELUM: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi faced a harsh backlash from the Minister of State for Finance and Railways, Bilal Azhar Kiyani, who condemned the former for taking political trips to other provinces instead of solving the problems of his people.
Kiyani’s statement cast a shadow over the injustices allegedly inflicted on the people of KP: “What is the sin of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa people? Why is it that they cannot have good governance when the Chief Minister is out visiting other provinces and not dealing with the domestic problems?”
The minister’s comments came as he was going through his constituency in Jhelum, where he rode on an electric bus with the locals. He talked to the passengers, purchased a ticket, and had conversations about the standard of the electric bus service, especially with the women passengers, regarding the travel facilities. Kiyani appreciated the service and reported that both the electric buses and cath labs, which were promised to the people, have been installed successfully.
He also discussed the failed peace talks, pointing to PTI’s walkout during discussions last year. “Although the parliament is the best place for negotiations, PTI did not agree to talk on important matters such as Palestine and national security,” Kiyani commented.
Kiyani emphasized again that his party is dedicated to non-violent and democratic discussions and that it is the opposition parties that are to perform their roles responsibly.
“The electric bus service is growing, and the people are appreciating its quality. In Jhelum, people have access to good healthcare and transport facilities, just like in other Punjab cities,” Kiyani said.
He made the criticism of the KP CM even louder when he said that trying to block roads in Sindh was just a cover-up for not handling the security matters of Peshawar. “The Chief Minister of KP should rather direct his efforts towards combating terrorism in Peshawar rather than playing political games in other provinces,” he remarked.
The Minister further made remarks that the PTI was doing nothing but blame-shifting in the context of terrorism issues. He stated, “These are the same people who cannot bring themselves to call terrorists by their proper name. They are not only generating problems but are also not making any contribution.”
