A senior labor leader from Bannu has sharply criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and his provincial government, accusing them of spending taxpayers’ money on political tours while the province struggles with worsening insecurity, inflation and mounting public grievances.
Speaking about the provincial government’s priorities, Divisional President of the Pensioners Association and provincial labor union leader Ghulam Dyar Khan Sikandari said public money was being spent on tours and other activities while ordinary people were paying the price of deteriorating law and order.
“This is the money collected through taxes from our people, which Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and his cabinet are spending on tours. They are enjoying themselves, eating and drinking, and moving around while wasting the people’s and the nation’s money,” he said.
Sikandari said such spending was particularly unacceptable at a time when people in several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were struggling to move freely because of insecurity.
“In most districts of the province, people cannot even come out of their homes after Asr prayer,” he said, adding that Bannu itself was witnessing multiple funerals every day because of violence.
He held the Sohail Afridi-led provincial government directly responsible for the deteriorating security situation and rising inflation, while also criticizing Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over her remarks concerning Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Pashtun population.
Sikandari referred to Maryam Nawaz’s statement that she did not fear neighboring countries but considered Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a threat, saying that such remarks amounted to blaming and portraying Pashtuns as terrorists.
He also questioned the purpose and priorities of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s visits outside the province.
“Sohail Afridi sometimes goes to Sindh and sometimes to Balochistan. Have only the Pashtuns taken the contract for PTI’s founder?” he questioned.
“Are these Pashtuns the only people who matter to PTI’s founder? Is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the only province? Are the people of KP the only people? And is the KP treasury the only treasury?”
Sikandari further alleged that the political activity being carried out in the name of PTI’s founder was not serving the interests of the province’s people.
“All this running around is not for PTI’s founder. It is being done to fill their own pockets,” he alleged.
He urged Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to abandon political distractions, divisive rhetoric and unnecessary tours and instead concentrate on the problems facing the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“Therefore, I appeal to the KP chief minister, for God’s sake, for God’s sake, leave these distractions, these politics of division and these tours, and focus on your people and their problems,” Sikandari said.
He called on the provincial government to make tackling insecurity and inflation its immediate priorities and to redirect public funds towards public welfare.
“Try to control insecurity and inflation, and spend the taxpayers’ money you are using on these activities on the prosperity, welfare and well-being of the people,” he said.
