SWAT: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said here on Friday that Prime Minister Imran Khan was the only leader in the country who had the ability and determination to pull the country out of economic quagmire.

He was addressing a public meeting in Madyan valley during his visit to Swat. Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed, MNAs and MPAs from Swat were also in attendance.

The chief minister said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had initially formed its government only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2013, and because of its best performance in the province the party subsequently also came into power in the centre, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.

He said that based on its current performance the PTI would also win the 2023 elections and form its governments in the centre and all the provinces, including Sindh.

Mahmood blames previous rulers for price hike

The chief minister said they had been giving top priority to welfare of the masses. He claimed that the current price hike in the country was due to the incompetency of previous rulers, who had failed to deliver.

He said that the provincial government was taking all measures for the welfare of the people. He said that a plan worth Rs100 billion had been approved for the supply of drinking water and other projects in all the divisional headquarters of the province.

“Work is in progress on international standard Kalam Cricket Stadium, which will provide sports facilities to the youth. The Health Card Plus Scheme has been launched through which every family in the province can avail of free treatment of up to Rs1 million,” he said.

Mahmood Khan said the provincial government was also working on other important projects, including food cards and education cards. He said that poor people in the province would be provided free ration through the food card on a monthly basis, while financial assistance would be given to deserving students for their expenses through the education card.

He said the government had completed people-friendly projects like BRT and Swat Motorway Phase-I while work was in progress on important projects like Chakdara-Dir Motorway, Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal. He said these projects would make the province a hub of commercial and industrial activities.

The chief minister termed food security an important part of their priorities and said the provincial government was working on projects like CRBC and Gomal Zam Dam to ensure food security.

“With the completion of these projects, millions of acres of barren lands in the southern districts will be made cultivable,” he said.

He said that work on Swat Motorway Phase-II would start in December this year.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2021