PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information and Public Relations Shafi Jan has strongly reacted to the press conference of Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari, stating that the baseless allegations and false propaganda against the KP government are merely a failed attempt to divert public attention from corruption scandals worth billions of rupees in Punjab.
The provincial minister said Azma Bukhari should stop levelling accusations against others and instead explain the multi-billion-rupee scandals, nepotism, and the excessive use of public resources for the personal publicity of Maryam Safdar in Punjab. He questioned why the Punjab information minister had remained silent over the reported one-billion-rupees corruption scandal in Faisalabad’s “Saaf Suthra Program.”
Shafi Jan said the corruption report made public so far relates to only one district, adding that if genuine accountability of the Punjab government is carried out, corruption worth billions of rupees in the program across Punjab would be exposed. He remarked that those who built palaces with taxpayers’ money are now attempting to deceive the public by delivering lectures on corruption.
He further said that Azma Bukhari and her party have failed to accept digest the overwhelming public mandate given to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Shafi Jan stated that, Punjab minister representing a government lacking a genuine public mandate cannot alter facts through baseless allegations and propaganda. He added that the public is now politically aware and fully recognizes the political tactics of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
Criticizing the Punjab government, Shafi Jan said that instead of delivering practical results for the people, the Punjab government is busy displaying pictures of the “fake Chief Minister” everywhere. He strongly criticized what he called the authoritarian style of governance in Punjab and questioned how those adopting authoritarian practices could speak about fascism.
He said that fabricated cases against PTI founding chairman Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, PTI leaders and workers, along with restrictions on freedom of expression and pressure on the media, have exposed the authoritarian face of the PML-N before the world. Shafi Jan reiterated that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government remains committed to transparency, accountability, and public service. He said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against corruption in the province and that no compromise would be made on accountability.
