KP regrets centre didn`t take it into confidence on NWA operation
By Our Correspondent
2014-07-09
SWABI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar on Tuesday said despite its unpreparedness, the provincial government was committed to helping out the tribesmen coming in from North Waziristan Agency due to the ongoing military operation against militants.
Addressing a news conference at his residence in Marghuz, Asad Qaisar said the PTI government was spending the maximum available funds to efficiently handle the influx of internally displaced persons from North Waziristan and had sought Rs10 billion from the federal government for the purpose.
He said unfortunately, the centre didn`t take the province into confidence before ordering the launch of the North Waziristan military operation.
The assembly speaker said had the federal government informed the KhyberPakhtunkhwa government about the operation before its start, the latter would have prepared itself well for the IDPs` influx.
He said the provincial government had called an all-party conference to discuss the situation emerging from the arrival of IDPs in large numbers.
Asad Qaisar said it was time that all stakeholders get together to handle the situation well.
`We all should shun our differences to help displaced people with a new zeal and enthusiasm,` he said.
The assembly speaker demanded that the federal government give every displaced family Rs50,000 instead of Rs40,000.
He said PTI chief Imran Khan had directed the party government and workers to regularly monitor the situation and help out IDPs in distress.
Asad Qaisar said the Pakhtuns known the world over for their hospitality wouldn`t leave their displaced brethren during the current difficult times and would offerthem help in cash and kind as they did in 2009 when people of Swat fled their homes due to a military operation against militants.
`We, the Pakhtuns, will manage the IDP crisis efficiently,` he said.
The assembly speaker said the provincial government had put all departments, especially those of health and education, on alert and was monitoring their performance.
He said the people of North Waziristan had rendered great sacrifices for counterterrorism, so their problems would be resolved on priority basis.
Asad Qaisar said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had suffered badly in the `war on terrorism` and therefore, it was expected that the federal government would offer it financial assistance and exemption from taxes.
He demanded smooth electric supply for the areas sheltering IDPs, saying it will help ease the distress of the displaced families during the scorching heat.