PM Shehbaz questions KP govt’s failure to establish CTD despite receiving Rs590b

Islamabad (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday questioned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for its failure to establish the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) despite receiving Rs590 billion during the last 14 years.

The prime minister, responding to a point of order raised by Sunni Ittehad Council member and formed NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, highlighted that under the NFC, an additional one per cent share was allocated for the KP province just to augment its efforts against terrorism.

He said the last NFC Award was agreed upon in 2010 by the government of Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani when terrorism was at its peak and the KP province suffered the most, followed by Balochistan and other provinces.

The prime minister said that KP people had been the frontline soldiers against terrorism which would always be remembered.

He said the additional one per cent share for KP in NFC was still intact and no other province including Balochistan got such funds nor objected to it despite immense sacrifices by their law enforcement agencies and people against terrorism.

He told the House that from 2010 till now, the KP province had received Rs590 billion but could not yet establish the CTD for which the funds were mainly allocated.

This also needs to be looked into as to why the CTD is still incomplete there despite getting such huge funds, he remarked.

Coming to another objection by the opposition member, the prime minister told the House that the federal government had forwarded a panel of three persons, as per tradition, asking the KP government to choose one officer for appointment as Chief Secretary which they have not decided so far.

He also offered to revise the panel if the provincial government desired so but rubbished the allegation of any discrimination against the province.