Opposition insists PTI-led KP govt failed to bring change

PESHAWAR: When the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) formed government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last year, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak boasted about his party’s preparedness to run the government.

“We aren’t among those governments that start thinking what to do after coming into power. We have come prepared,” he said in his first speech in the provincial assembly. As his young and inexperienced MPAs thumped desks, he continued: “As soon as we sit in our offices, we will start work. We will not waste time in thinking what we have to do because we exactly know what we will do.”

After a year, critics say, most of his government policies are in disarray. They are still figuring out what to do by flirting with different ideas. “In the first year, at least it dawned on them that policies don’t exist,” said Sikandar Sherpao, Qaumi Watan Party’s provincial president. He served as senior minister in the PTI-led government for over five months, but parted ways when unilateral action was taken against his two of party’s ministers on charges of corruption.

“The first year of PTI government is disappointing,” said Afrasiab Khattak, a leader of the Awami National Party. PTI created a wave, particularly in KP, on the slogan of change. It promised in its manifesto to eradicate corruption, introduce a uniformed education system, hold local government elections, bring revolutionary improvement in health, put in place a system of accountability, ensure rule of law and good governance and set up a library in the Chief Minister House.

What many doubted even then was Imran Khan’s claim to realise several of the objectives within three months. Many wondered how he would do it, but PTI chairman appeared cocksure to deliver on the promises. He wanted corruption to go away in three months and hold local government elections during the same period. He wanted to bring a change and introduce a system of accountability in three months. And he wanted the Chief Minister House turned into a library.

“The way he made promises, people thought it would establish a role model government. He dashed people’s hopes,” said Pir Sabir Shah, provincial president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and former chief minister. “The change people hoped for never arrived,” he added.

After a year, Afrasiab Khattak believes the PTI squandered ANP’s gains against terrorism. “They blamed terrorism on our policies and said they would control it as soon as they would assume power. Today, we see an upsurge in acts of terrorism,” he alleged.

He said the PTI government’s policy of appeasement enabled militants to run a state within a state. He alleged that the government was unwilling to take ownership of the “struggle against terrorism” which had turned police into a demoralised force. “The minorities are insecure. The well-heeled people pay bhatta and ‘Fatafication’ of settled districts including Bannu, Kohat and Charsadda is underway,” he said.

The PTI claims it brought down the level of corruption, but its critics don’t buy it. “The corruption couldn’t be eliminated in 90 days. It continues even today,” Sikandar Sherpao said. “Action speaks louder than words,” Afrasiab sneered.

According to Sikandar Sherpao, it was the first time in the province’s history that a sitting chief secretary issued a charge-sheet against the chief minister. Khalid Masood, provincial general secretary of PTI, said they discouraged practices that could allow opportunities for corruption. “We discouraged corruption at ministerial level and we are still microscopically watching ministers,” he said.

The PTI fired two of its ministers a month ago on bad performance, but many believe the action was partly taken on charges of corruption against the two ministers. “Not we, the party itself produced a charge-sheet against its ministers,” said Afrasiab while making the point that the PTI government is corrupt. “We offer tenders online and made appointments in education through NTS,” Khalid Masood claimed. “We ended political interference in police,” he added.

The Fata Research Centre, a non-governmental organisation, in its one year government review concluded that corruption under PTI government has declined. However, it did not explain how it had declined.

The PTI failed to hold local government elections even after one year, let alone three months. According to Khalid Masood, the PTI government is ready for it since April 2014 but the Election Commission of Pakistan is not yet prepared.

Opponents also criticise PTI government for its ‘bad governance and incompetency.’ It failed to utilise funds of the annual development plan of 2013-14. “Around 70 percent ADP could not be spent,” Afrasiab said. The FRC report substantiates his claim as it says the government spent only 31.22 percent of the ADP. “There is no leadership in the PTI,” Afrasiab said, adding that it appointed a battalion of ministers, advisors and special assistants. “We thought they would work with 10 ministers,” he added.

Sikandar Sherpao alleged that the PTI government interfered in bureaucracy and transferred administrative secretaries frequently. He sees no improvement in education and health. “People have felt no change at all,” he said.

Afghanistan insists foreign hand in hotel attack, despite Taliiban claim

KABUL: Afghanistan's presidency says its spy agency believes that a foreign intelligence service, and not the country's main militant groups, was behind the attack on a Kabul hotel last week that killed nine people, including two children and four foreigners.

A statement from President Hamid Karzai's office said the spy agency briefed Afghanistan's top security officials.

In that briefing the agency said: "The attack on the Serena Hotel was a direct attack by an intelligence service outside the country."

It did not specify which country was purportedly responsible for the assault, but Afghanistan routinely accuses Pakistan of sending militants across the border to wage attacks. Pakistan did not immediately comment on the allegations.

The agency said neither the Taliban nor the Haqqani group, a network believed responsible for numerous high-profile attacks in Kabul, was even aware the attack was in the offing.

Afghanistan's National Security Council was also told that a Pakistani diplomat was spotted filming inside the Serena Hotel "a while ago," seeming to suggest that the incident was connected to Friday's horrific assault in which four gunmen, their small pistols hidden in their shoes, slipped passed the hotel security.

Once inside the hotel, they opened fire inside a restaurant and shot people at point blank range, including two small children and their parents. A senior reporter of Agence France-Presse, Sardar Ahmad, died in the rampage along with his wife and two young children. His infant son is in critical condition in a Kabul hospital with several bullet wounds. Two Canadians, an American, a national of Paraguay and a fifth Afghan were also among the dead. Sardar and his family were buried Sunday amid tight security.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it shows that "our people, if they decide to attack any place, they can do it."
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, issued another statement on Sunday in which the movement still accepted responsibility for the attack but appeared to address the outrage over the killing of Sardar and his family. It said it killed "foreign and internal agents" but the killing of the family was "not the work of the Islamic Emirate," without explaining further.
Afghanistan's interior ministry, which also briefed the National Security Council, said it had evidence of large numbers of students of madrassas or religious schools in Pakistan avowing to disrupt the April 5 polls for president as well as provincial council members.
Several Afghan Taliban leaders attended Pakistani madrassas.