Staff reporter
Peshawar: Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Information and Public Relations, Shafi Jan, has strongly reacted to statements issued by the federal government regarding the displacement of the local population from Tirah Valley, terming them baseless, fabricated, and contrary to facts. He said the federal government is attempting to mislead the public, a move that will not be allowed to succeed under any circumstances.
In his statement, Shafi Jan said the federal government is making a failed attempt to shift the entire blame for the ongoing operation in Tirah Valley and the resulting displacement onto the provincial government. He added that the reality is well known: the people of Tirah Valley were forced to migrate due to the military operation, a fact acknowledged nationwide.
He said that speeches delivered by Federal Ministers Khawaja Asif and Talal Chaudhry on the floor of the National Assembly regarding the operation are on record. Shafi Jan further stated that Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sohail Afridi, has repeatedly and clearly presented his stance on the Tirah Valley operation.
The Special Assistant said that during the peace jirga held in the provincial assembly, all political parties unanimously opposed the operation. He added that the federal government should have taken the provincial government, political parties, and other stakeholders into confidence before initiating any operation, but instead, decisions were imposed and the affected population was left alone in difficult times.
Shafi Jan termed the federal government’s statement regarding the release of four billion rupees by the provincial government for the displaced families as highly ridiculous. He said the funds were released solely to ensure immediate and timely relief for the affected people, but regrettably, the federal government attempted to politicize even this humanitarian issue.
He questioned whether the provincial government should have left the displaced families helpless and unattended. He said the provincial government fulfilled its constitutional and moral responsibility by providing timely relief, while the federal government’s indifference remains deeply regrettable.
The Special Assistant for Information further stated that the federal government is, in fact, panicked by the successful street movement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Acting on the directives of PTI Founder Chairman Imran Khan, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is successfully leading the movement.
He added that after the Peshawar region, massive public gatherings during the street movement in Malakand Division have clearly demonstrated that the people are not willing to accept the “imposed and fake” governments in the federation and Punjab. According to Shafi Jan, the public has once again announced its verdict in favor of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and its founder chairman, Imran Khan.
