Daily Times

In 1856, Abraham Lincoln stated that actions speak louder than words. Since then, the common man has been quoting his saying on various occasions. Gone are the days when the common individual believed all that the politicians promised about magical lands and wealth. Now, the individuals want to see all the vows turning into reality.

It has been four years since Khyber Pakhtunkhwa embraced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf with welcoming hands. The common man does not pay heed to the political party itself, but what the party has to offer. So what has the party offered till now?

Running a trip down the memory lane of KPKʼs mountains, the rosy cheeks of children hopping to go to school to study the new English language curriculum to be big men, speaks volumes. In a country where ghost schools are very much heard of and the syllabus remains unchanged for decades, introducing the studies in a language the world understands for the KPK toddlers and youngsters to flourish has been no less than a blessing from PTI, state the parents.

These parents are shifting their children from private institutions to public ones because they have become content. Alif Ailaan, a nonprofit organization working for the education sector of Pakistan ranked nine out of ten districts on the District Education Rankings from KP, while only one from Punjab, which proves that under the governance of PTI, the education sector is flourishing.

Moving aside from the literary breakthrough, illness is no longer a burden on the unprivileged. With more than half of the KPK population having 2.4 million health insurance cards, medical treatments have become affordable. Some cities have started offering e-ilaj, a service that works like WebMD- allowing users to find out about their potential sickness.

Another recent event that spoke and left the hearts of many nestled in KPK and all over Pakistan at peace was the justice given to Asmaʼs ruthless killer in a short span of time. It is said that leaders who truly are what they seem to be, prefer the love of the common man and yearn to earn their respect rather than winning it over through power. That is precisely the reason why KPK has always been inclined towards one political party.

Whilst the other parties may believe in showering people with gifts, PTI, as I have deciphered, believes that these gifts are just mere responsibilities that have to be worked upon at any cost. Thus, the ‘giftsʼ never stop coming; a perfect example would be the strategic planning being done for the Swat motorway and Rapid Bus Transport, addressing the vehicle and time problem of many.

Letʼs talk on the basis of statistical findings. As of 2017, KPK has been able to reduce the crime rate by 10%, miscellaneous crime rate by a whopping 20% and the traffic accidents rate by 4% as compared to the stats of 2014. Other noteworthy reductions include extortion (51%), kidnapping for ransom (48%), carjacking (18%) – all visibly less, compared to those of 2014.

Furthermore, comparing the analytics of the past six years, the rate of people dying in terrorist attacks and the total number of terrorism cases have also been reduced. There are visible problems and then there are problems which might not be that easy to identify. In order to solve these, it is crucial to let the people speak out without any obstacles.

KPK launched citizenʼs Facebook which connects people to public departments and allows them to register complaints through its portal. Out of the 33,300 individuals who downloaded the application, 18,000 of them registered complaints. It is safe to say that around 81% of the complaints were resolved.

A very recent article published in the Express Tribune discusses former finance minister, Ayesha Pashaʼs book which states that KPK has achieved the highest growth rate since 2007. “K-Pʼs average growth rate of 5.1% was better than the national average of 4.5% for the period of 2013-14 to 2016-17, according to the publication.”

Now, when I sit in crowds, I simply ask for factual information in the shape of what has occurred rather than words in the air. It is not hard to identify dedication if one comprehends Lincolnʼs saying.

It is time for you, I and our grandparents, who have been following their folks for decades to address the ones who are addressing them, to weigh the facts before the promises become too many to recall and to wake up before their little ones forget that actions do indeed, speak louder than words.