PESHAWAR: Awami National Party central leader and former senator Ilyas Ahmed Bilour has asked the government not to test public patience and complete the Bus Rapid Transit project without delay, or the political parties and business community will come out on the roads.

The known businessman in a statement on Tuesday said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had destroyed face of the historical city in the name of BRT and made lives of people miserable. “We cannot wait any longer on false promises about completion of the BRT and will start agitation if the provincial government fails to inaugurate the project this month,” the ANP leader warned.

Ilyas Bilour said the water accumulated on the roads, streets as a result of one-day rain had exposed performance of the government as many of the people had to leave their vehicles behind in the knee-deep water even on the main thoroughfares.

Mr Bilour pointed out that the BRT had disturbed the entire traffic management system in Peshawar and destroyed the drains, turning roads into ponds. “We don’t need BRT. Return our old Peshawar to the residents,” the ANP leader said, adding BRT’s design had been changed nine times while the completion schedule was revised six times and project won’t also meet the completion deadline of March 23.

The ANP leader demanded constitution of a powerful committee with a senior judge of Supreme Court to probe the BRT affairs and fix responsibilities for legal action.

“The people are punished for voting PTI to power. The business community is ready to leave Peshawar in protest if the BRT project is not complete immediately,” he warned and asked the government to stop the work if it was unable to meet its deadline.

The former lawmaker claimed the BRT would be the last nail in ‘coffin’ of PTI politics as no one would support it in future elections.

He said PTI was lacking capabilities to carry out development works and the lone mega project was live example of its inability to serve the masses.

Ilyaz Bilour accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of misguiding the nation by hiding factual position of the national issues only to save his politics.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2019