The government’s first priority, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who stated on Sunday that a thorough strategy had been created for the province’s return to law and order.
Terrorist activity increased in Pakistan last year, particularly in KP and Balochistan after the government-broken ceasefire with the banned militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan expired in November 2022.
A late-night attempt on a Dera Ismail Khan police station last month was thwarted. After utilizing heavy weaponry to launch an attack, the gunmen were forced to retreat under cover of darkness when police responded with gunfire.
In December of last year, terrorists from the Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) invaded a military compound in the Daraban district of Dera Ismail Khan, resulting in the deaths of 23 soldiers and the wounding of over 30 more.
In 2023, Pakistan had a record six-year high of 1,524 violence-related deaths and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror incidents and counter-terror operations, according to an annual security assessment published by the Centre for Research and Security Studies.
With nearly 90% of all deaths and 84% of attacks, including acts of terrorism and security force operations, KP and Balochistan were the main hotspots for violence.
Speaking to the media today on his maiden trip to Dera Ismail Khan as chief minister, the PTI leader said that the security plan would be put into action as soon as possible because it was necessary for any place to advance.
In view of the increase in terror incidents in the previous year, he added that measures would also be made to ensure the safety of law enforcement and other forces.
The chief minister declared that the Sehat Card facility will be reinstated by the government. “We need to upgrade the treatment facilities at public hospitals,” he stated, hoping that since all amenities would be available at public hospitals, patients wouldn’t feel the need to go to private ones.
Speaking about the present inflation wave, he stated that as part of the Ramazan package, the provincial administration will provide Rs 10,000 to each of the 850,000 worthy families in the province. “It will be respectfully delivered to them at their doorstep,” CM Gandapur declared.
In addition, he stated, the government would start offering individuals economic options rather than just charity or stipends.
According to Gandapur, the youth would receive skill training, while the women would have job options at home. In this regard, he continued, consultations with other nations were in progress.
He pointed out that inadequate stock availability was one of the true causes of inflation and that food security was another major concern facing the nation.
“The provincial government would build small dams,” he stated, noting that the Lift Canal Project and the TankZam dam would soon be under construction.
Gandapur committed to turning KP into a model province by prioritizing the development of revenue over borrowing.
In reference to his discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Gandapur stated that the KP administration would work with the federal government while taking the nation’s economic circumstances into consideration.
As a conduit between the people and the government, the chief minister urged the media to do its fair share of bringing attention to the actual problems facing the majority of people.
He declared in closing that the KP government would always accept constructive criticism from the press and respond to it appropriately.
