SWAT: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Saturday said a group of corrupt politicians had begun the ‘protest drama’ under the cover of the opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement to escape accountability.

“The corrupt group won’t be spared,” he told a public meeting in Matta area here.

Communication minister Murad Saeed, livestock minister Muhibullah Khan, chairman of the district development advisory committee Fazal Hakim Khan and MPA Mian Sharafat Ali accompanied him.

The chief minister said staging protests was everyone’s right but the government won’t allow anyone to speak against state institutions.He said the opposition parties staged public meetings in Gujranwala, Karachi and Quetta and had planned a public meeting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which would fail.

“The people of KP have already rejected this group of thieves [opposition leaders] and will do so in the next elections as well,” he said. Mr Mahmood said Prime Minister Imran Khan was the people’s leader, who thought and worked for the people, and that the corrupt politicians didn’t like him for sincere and true efforts for the people’s development.

Says no one will be allowed to speak against state institutions

“This group of corrupt politicians has now started spewing venom against the Pakistan Army, and PTI and people stand by the army,” he said.

The chief minister said the enemies were actively working against the country.

“One group of enemy is working within the country to weaken the country’s foundation, while the other is active for the purpose abroad,” he said. The chief minister said the bomb blast in a Peshawar seminary was carried out by the country’s enemies based abroad. He said the people of Pakistan and security forces would jointly defeat all enemies of the country.

Mr Mahmood said his government had to its credit the landmark merger of Fata with KP, construction of the Swat Motorway and the start of Pakistan Bus Rapid Transport service.

He said work on Phase-II of the Swat Motorway and Chakdara-Chitral Motorway would begin soon, while a motorway-like road would be built from Khwazakhela to Besham area.The chief minister announced that PM Imran Khan would visit Swat next Friday to inaugurate the Sehat Insaf Card scheme.

“Now, every family in KP will receive free medical care through national identity cards,” he said. Communication minister Murad Saeed said the ‘NRO League’ was working against the prime minister and country as it was opposed to national progress.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan has not only started a war against corrupt politicians in the country but he is also fighting anti-Islamic forces at the international level and therefore, the enemies of Islam and Pakistan have turned against him,” he said. The minister said both internal and external enemies of the country would be defeated under the leadership of PM Imran Khan.

The chief minister and communication minister also inaugurated several development projects in Swat district.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2020