.. by Prof. Rahmat Karim Baig

The PTI govt. in KPK is nearing a nine year tenure with a very small chunk of the mandate to show any miracle in the coming months. What the voters expected at the time of the general elections was too high but the provincial govt. with all the ministers, advisors, special assistants  has not been able to give any relief to the voters. The unemployment rate is as high as it was at the induction. It has incurred huge expenses on the extra advisors etc. recruited for various purposes who did nothing except getting perks and privileges. The regular expenses could not be reduced  and the idea of economy drive disappeared like vapours from a kettle. The road system remains the same except the Swat Motorway.

The high claims of providing jobs to unemployed youth was handed over to NTS with poor credibility who showed doubtful results and  it took a long time to decide for the govt. as what to do next. It is an example of poor performance. The screening tests  were carried out  and when the favourite candidates could not qualify  the who process was reconsidered and called ‘ousting’ of the candidates who had failed to pass the said screening  test. The results were withheld for months, interview dates were put off again and again  because the favourite candidates had not been in the list of the successful candidates and the failed ones were once again included for another test or interview. All this shows that there is some thing fishy in the system and the high claims of meritocracy have been forgotten.

The PTI government has to understand that the voters are disappointed and it may lead to serious consequences in the local body elections as well as in the coming general elections. The PTI workers have behaved very badly in various circles. Once I was invited by a friend to join a PTI led committee, to work for promotion of tourism and I was asked to search the most active youth to join the committee and present their suggestions to promote tourism but when I contacted the young men concerned, they were doubtful and asked about the validity of committee and after an explanation of the program they flatly refused to join any PTI workers  committee on the ground that the PTI workers are not men of integrity and no work is possible because of their unreliable activities and their negative role during the present govt. in a situation where these workers try to intimidate other members of any sports event and their behavior is not constructive but based on self aggrandizement. They want to hijack the good works of other non party members  so they withdrew from cooperating  or any kind of collaboration with the activists of that party. The provincial set up of PTI has failed to train their workers and as a result they bring bad name to the party leadership. The provincial PTI leadership must change her behavior and deliver on the basis of justice. Chitral has always been neglected and we don’t have any kind of high expectations from the overwhelming tribal prejudice of our close neighbours. The senior leadership has overlooked Chitral. The selection of a senator or a minority member has brought no relief to the inhabitants of Chitral. Our road system has not improved. Our tourism activities have been left unattended. The far flung valleys of Chitral have very bad transport facility.

The Health card facility should have been based for the needy and not for the well to do families who can afford their expenses. This is not a just decision. The poor deserve, not the smugglers, hoarders, industrialists, jagirdars, Khans, waderas and the over half a million of trillionaires. Also those who have got their debts written off  which ran into trillions. The real culprits who brought disaster to our economy have neither been arrested nor a penny was recovered from them. This is one of the big failures of the PTI government. .. Prof. Rahmat Karim Baig, Chitral 13 Feb 2022