PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Friday bashed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government in Punjab over the local police’s failure to act against the people involved in 12 child abuse cases during the last few months.

He praised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police for arresting eight of the nine accused in the DI Khan girl stripping case within 24 hours of the incident.

The ruling PTI’s chairman was addressing a large crowd of youths in Nishtar Hall here during a certificate distribution ceremony of KP Youth Employment Programme.

Mr Imran praised his party’s government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for taking initiatives like providing training to youths to use technology for employment and strengthening institutions.

He said the provincial government appointed the inspector general of police on merit and revamped the entire police system but the PML-N in Punjab despite being in power for the last 19 years didn’t turn the local police efficient.

Claims KP police very efficient, empowered, delivering the goods

The PTI chief said when a woman was disgraced in a southern district of KP, the local police arrested eight of the nine accused within 24 hours but on the contrary, the Punjab government didn’t do anything when 12 children were killed after abuse in the last few months and a child sex and blackmail scandal was reported in Kasur.

“The Punjab police did nothing,” he said.

Mr Imran said making motorways and buildings was not development and instead, investing in human development and strengthening institutions to encourage meritocracy and encourage talent is the only way for a nation to progress.

He urged youths to follow their dreams fearlessly.

The PTI chief said the KP government had improved the state of affairs in all its institutions especially police.

“The IGP was appointed on merit. He has been empowered. There is no political interference in his department. Recruitments to the department have been made through the NTS tests. In just four years, the police department in KP has become what it should be,” he said, adding that the provincial police are delivering the goods.

Mr Imran said the father of the Kasur minor girl, who was raped and killed, had requested the army chief and Supreme Court chief justice for help to get justice instead of the local police, which showed the people’s mistrust in the police and government.

During Imran’s address, the youths continuously shouted slogans of change and hailed Imran Khan for ensuring good governance in the province.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and IT minister Shahram Khan Tarakai were also in attendance to encourage youths, who underwent a training course under the KP Youth Employment Programme launched by the provincial IT Board.

The programme is meant to provide skills to youths with employment skills within two years by providing different weekly courses and enabling them not only to improve their communication skills but also use technology to find work opportunities.

IT Board managing director Shahbaz Khan said the programme enabled youths to learn skills and use technology to earn their living from international market while sitting anywhere.

“Some 3,000 youths have completed training course in different skills. There are many successful stories of youths using technology for freelance work to earn a living while staying home,” said Nazish Aslam, a trainer.

Some youths from different districts of the province, who underwent training course in technologies like graphic designing, communication skills, freelancing and digital marketing, said the course duration should be increased as they learnt a lot from it and wanted to learn more.

Mohammad Ishaq, who did BBA from a college in Mardan, said he was very shy like many Pakhtun boys when he joined the training classes but after completing the course, he was so confident that he could attend a job interview very well due to the improved communication skills.

His friend, Kashif, also declared shyness a hurdle to the development of local youths.

Asfandyar Bacha of Sakhakot also said he learnt digital marketing skills and it would help him find better job opportunities.

PTI chief Imran Khan also advised youths to follow their dreams without fear or pressure and gave them examples from his early cricket career.

He said youths shouldn’t be impressed by the western culture and instead, they should believe in their own self for development.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2018