PTI chief lauds KP govt's 'poverty alleviation feat'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan highlighted on Wednesday the ‘achievements’ of his party-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

In a series of tweets, the PTI chief shared that the provincial government’s priority was “poverty alleviation not simply showcase mega roads' projects”.

Listing the initiatives of the party, which formed a government for the first time, that helped achieve poverty reduction, Khan said that the government's merit based recruitment, better public schools, reformed health service in government hospitals and health cards for poor helped achieve the target.  

Moreover, he credited the government's micro-hydel projects in remote areas, "that provide cheap electricity", the party's billion tree tsunami project which provides jobs to locals and a de-politicised police force which has created a secure environment and attracted investment in the province.

It is the success of a holistic people-centric approach by the PTI government that has led to a reduction of poverty in the province, concluded Khan.

In an interview to BBC Urdu on Tuesday, the PTI chairman said KP's municipal system, education system and easy access to health facilities are the three achievements he feels most proud of.

"Compared to other provinces, we have spent the most money on education,” he remarked.

On KP’s municipal system, he said that the new system could not be implemented as some members of his own party and provincial bureaucracies have been opposing it.

Speaking in regards to improvements in the health department, Khan further said that PTI's government increased salaries of doctors, improved the service structure, and employed more doctors.

"During our tenure, the total number of doctors increased from 3,000 to 10,000," he added.

"I have learnt a lot during PTI's tenure in KP," said the PTI chief while adding that he is hopeful PTI will prove to be victorious in the next general elections.

PTI emerged as the largest party in KP after the general elections in 2013 and formed a coalition government in the province. It also ended up as the third biggest party in the National Assembly and received the second most number of votes after the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.