PESHAWAR: Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Wednesday criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over the recently approved perks-related bill, asking the party that claims to uphold transparency and justice to explain how the legislation was passed by the provincial assembly.
“The provincial government has secured benefits for itself but failed to provide relief to the people,” he said while talking to the media after attending a function.
He also expressed concern over attempts to impose restrictions on the media, describing them as contrary to democratic values.
The governor said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing serious security challenges and needed effective governance and improved public service delivery rather than additional privileges for lawmakers.
He said that the provincial government had failed to protect the lives and property of citizens and said the health, education and other essential sectors were in poor condition.
The governor said that under the Constitution, every bill passed by the provincial assembly was sent to the governor for consideration.
He said he had raised constitutional objections to several provincial bills, but if a bill was reconsidered by the assembly and sent back to the governor, it automatically became law after the expiry of the constitutionally prescribed period.
Earlier, addressing a certificate and toolkit distribution ceremony at the Governor’s House for youths who completed a mobile phone repair course, he said investing in the skills and abilities of young people was an investment in Pakistan’s brighter future. He stressed that equipping youth with modern education and technical skills was the need of the time.
He said skilled young people could create dignified employment opportunities for themselves and contribute to the economic stability of their families.
The training programme was organised by the Society for Skill, Training and Development (SSTD) in collaboration with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation Pakistan.
Senior Director of SSTD Muhammad Haseeb Khan, Country Director of Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation Pakistan Dr Arjumand Nizami, trainees and their parents attended the ceremony.
The governor said the programme represented an effective and sustainable investment in the future of young people, adding that Pakistan’s youth had been affected by various national challenges and therefore deserved special attention in education and skills development.
He appreciated the role of the private sector in promoting technical education and urged both public and private organisations to expand such skill development programmes to all districts of the province.
