PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has released funds to ensure timely relief for people displaced from Tirah Valley, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Shafi Jan said on Sunday, rejecting what he described as baseless and misleading statements issued by the federal government on the issue.
In a statement, Shafi Jan said claims by the federal government regarding the displacement of the local population from Tirah Valley were contrary to facts and aimed at misleading the public. He said such statements were a deliberate attempt to shift responsibility for the displacement and the ongoing operation onto the provincial government.
The special assistant said the objective of the federal government’s narrative was to malign Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. He added that the people of the province were politically aware and would not be misled by what he termed false propaganda.
Shafi Jan said it was a known fact that residents of Tirah Valley were forced to migrate due to the operation, adding that statements by federal ministers Khawaja Asif and Talal Chaudhry in the National Assembly regarding the operation were on record. He said the chief minister had repeatedly clarified his position on the Tirah Valley situation.
He recalled that during a peace jirga held in the provincial assembly, all political parties had opposed the operation. He added that the federal government should have taken the provincial government, political parties and other stakeholders into confidence before taking decisions, but instead imposed its decisions while leaving the affected population to face hardship.
Responding to the federal government’s remarks about the release of Rs4 billion by the provincial government, Shafi Jan termed the criticism unreasonable. He said the funds were released solely to provide immediate relief to the displaced people and questioned whether the provincial government should have abandoned the affected families in their time of need.
He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government acted to ensure timely assistance, while describing the federal government’s attitude on the issue as insensitive.
Shafi Jan further said the federal government was under pressure due to the street movement of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf. He said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was leading the movement on the instructions of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan, adding that large public participation in recent gatherings, including in Malakand Division, reflected public sentiment.
He said the turnout showed that people were not prepared to accept what he described as a fake government imposed at the federal level and in Punjab, and claimed that public support remained with Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
