A member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly and the Awami National Party, Nisar Baz Khan, has said that Pakistan has, for the past seventy years, used the tribal districts for its own interests and for other people’s wars, and has never implemented the promises made to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Speaking on Saturday (6 Saratan) during a session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, he said: “We can prove with evidence that Punjab is Pakistan, and Pakistan is Punjab, and that this country is only governed by Punjab.”
Referring to the M-13 Kharian–Rawalpindi motorway project in Punjab, Nisar Baz Khan said that while billions of rupees are being spent on such projects and other infrastructure initiatives, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan continue to face poor roads, weak infrastructure, and economic challenges.
He added that during the merger of the tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it was promised that 100 billion rupees would be allocated annually to these regions, but this commitment has not yet been fulfilled. According to him, roads in Bajaur that were destroyed in 2008 during the war against terrorism have still not been rebuilt.
Regarding the security situation, he questioned: “3,000 billion rupees are spent on defense, yet we remain insecure. Drone strikes are still taking place in Bajaur today, our roads are in poor condition, and routes are blocked due to other people’s wars. When questioned, the excuse of terrorism is given. Twenty-five years of operations were conducted, but what was the outcome?”
Nisar Baz Khan also opposed the imposition of taxes in the tribal districts and the Malakand Division, stating that the Awami National Party will raise its voice against this decision and will not remain silent on the issue.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
