SWAT: Federal Minister for SAFRON, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs, as well as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President, Engineer Amir Muqam on Sunday criticised jailed PTI founder Imran Khan for seeking external support, stating that he should learn from the mistakes of Ukraine’s leadership.
Speaking at a ceremony during his visit to Swat’s Salampur area for the inauguration of a NADRA Registration Center, Muqam said that political opponents were unable to accept Pakistan’s progress and were forming alliances based on personal interests rather than national development.
He stressed that if alliances were necessary, they should focus on eliminating terrorism, economic stability, and reducing unemployment.
He claimed that overseas Pakistanis and the youth had rejected PTI, with the party’s popularity declining nationwide. Despite ruling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for three consecutive terms, Muqam accused PTI of failing to bring development or peace to the province.
He argued that the party’s priorities were never about public service but something else entirely.
The minister highlighted that under Imran Khan’s rule, inflation was out of control, and Pakistan was nearing bankruptcy. However, he credited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership for reducing inflation from 38% to 3% within a year and lowering the policy rate from 22% to 12%.
He said these measures had restored investor confidence, with foreign exchange reserves increasing due to economic reforms.
Expressing concern over rising terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muqam blamed certain political factions for indirectly facilitating its continuation. He criticized PTI’s failure to fulfill promises, including constructing dams and transforming the Prime Minister’s House into a university.
Instead, he accused Imran Khan’s government of discouraging overseas remittances. However, he praised overseas Pakistanis for rejecting PTI’s stance and sending $300 billion in remittances, a 25% increase from last year.
Muqam stated that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had realized PTI’s true nature and were now shifting their support to PML-N. Following his speech, he visited the newly established NADRA Registration Center, where he received a briefing from officials on its operations.
