Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said not only entire Peshawar division would sink, but the whole province would badly suffer if the Kalabagh Dam is built.

He was briefing to the participants of National Security and War Course 2016 of the National Defence University (NDU) over the KP security, development planning, social and economic sectors’ reforms and initiatives at the Chief Minister House on Friday, who called on the chief minister.

Speaking on the occasion, chief instructor of the course Major General Najamul Hassan said the KP province has been put on very correct path of governance and policies and emerging as role model for all others. The 200-member delegation comprised three chief instructors (two major generals and one rear admiral), 25 faculty members and 182 course participants from Pakistan Armed Forces, CSS officers and senior military officers from friendly countries.

Interacting with the course participants the chief minister said despite the fact that presence of huge number of Afghan refugees was burdening the social and economic structure of the province, the provincial government was treating them as guests, and it was not in the favour of forced repatriation of the refugees. He said, “We want peace in Afghanistan so that Afghan refugees could respectfully return to their homeland.”

Responding to questions asked by the participants, the CM said, “The provincial government would fully support FATA people’s decision whatsoever regarding future of their territory, and we must let them choose whether or not they should join KP.” The chief minister informed the participants that peace had been restored in militancy-hit Malakand division, however, rehabilitation measures in Malakand will be taken by the KP government soon after return of army from the area.

Giving details about the LG system in the province, Khattak said that the lowest tier of the government was made more powerful than tehsil and district councils.

He said for the first time in history of the country, 30 percent of the provincial development funds were allocated for the local governments and proportion of spending had been fixed for every sector, adding that a comprehensive and clear mechanism has also been devised to ensure smooth and independent functioning of local governments.

He said that an independent Provincial Finance Commission formed with representation from treasury and opposition members was making distribution of funds among local governments.