PESHAWAR: Differences have surfaced among the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders in Peshawar over the slow pace of work on developmental schemes, spending of funds on unnecessary projects and failure to rectify the faulty sewerage system in different areas.
“The provincial government is lavishly spending billions of rupees in the name of expansion of roads and beautification of Peshawar, but the drainage system along the GT Road is given no attention despite our repeated appeals,” said former Peshawar district president Zafarullah Khattak in a statement here on Sunday.
He said that the entire drainage system was clogged and sewage was overflowing on the roads and streets. He said that one could easily witness the faulty system near the children hospital at Haji Camp which was turned into a dumping yard.
Mr Khattak said that stinking smell was emanating from the stagnant drain water which was a permanent source of breeding mosquitoes, making lives miserable for the passers-by and residents of different localities including Sarbilandpura, Sethi Town, Paharipura, Kamboh, Dauranpur, Budhni, etc.
Peshawar’s main drainage system is clogged, says former district president
He said that the hospital’s premises needed to be kept clean, but the sanitation staff was not paying attention to the area where movement of people had become almost impossible.
“I have personally requested Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, minister for local government Inayatullah Khan, administrator, chief municipal officer and relevant MPAs to take notice of the situation being confronted by the people and they assured us of taking prompt action, but to no avail,” he lamented.
Mr Khattak said that if the government was unable to open a choked gutter then how the people would expect anything else for their betterment. The MPAs, he alleged, were doing nothing for the public welfare but dodging the people while contracts had been awarded to touts and blue-eyed persons, who were unaware of public problems.
He said that the area of Khalisa-I was considered to be the stronghold of PTI in the past, but due to irresponsible attitude of the ministers and MPAs the people were fast turning against the party. The former district president said that the residents of Hussain Chowk, UC-I, were ready to vacate their houses due to unhygienic conditions. He warned that if the government did not take immediate steps for rectification of the sewerage system the PTI workers led by their leaders would come to the streets against their own government.
Efforts were made to contact the administrator of Municipal Corporation Peshawar for his comments by phone, but he did not attend repeated calls.
Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2014