Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Dilazak Road Underpass in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said that it was a day of celebration as development projects were being launched in line with the vision of the founding chairman.

He said that Rs100 billion had been allocated for the development and rehabilitation of Peshawar, while projects worth Rs200 billion were being inaugurated today.

The chief minister stated that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had made immense sacrifices in the war against terrorism, with millions displaced as a result. He claimed that development work had begun from Peshawar and that the public would witness visible changes within the next 60 days.

Criticizing the federal government, Afridi said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was being treated like a stepchild. He alleged that the province and the merged districts were not receiving their fair share under the NFC Award and claimed that the federal government owed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rs4.758 trillion.

He further alleged that some individuals purchase properties abroad and engage in political horse-trading, while funds allocated for the province’s development projects were also being withheld.

According to the chief minister, the federal government had earmarked only Rs500–600 million for provincial projects, but even that amount had not been released.

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He said that the federal government was also withholding No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for several projects, including the General Bus Stand and Swat Dam. He added that for the past 78 years, a particular mindset had deprived Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of development, despite the province sacrificing 80,000 lives for Pakistan.

Afridi said that every new policy decision was made behind closed doors and alleged that the federal government was discriminating against the province because of the founding chairman. He claimed that 7,000 workers of his party appeared in courts in Islamabad multiple times every month.

Referring to Gilgit-Baltistan, he said that the treatment of his party’s leaders and workers there was evident to all, and claimed that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan would respond through the power of their vote.

The chief minister said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wanted the upcoming budget to be discussed with the founding chairman. He warned that if he and the finance minister were not allowed to meet the founding chairman by June 9, they would stage a sit-in outside the National Assembly on June 10.

Afridi asserted that no one could remove the provincial government established under the leadership of the founding chairman. He announced that Rs50 billion had been allocated to promote tourism in Mansehra and that youth and internship programmes would be introduced for young people.

He also said that interest-free loans would be provided to minorities and persons with disabilities, while revolutionary initiatives would be launched in the health and education sectors.

The chief minister further stated that despite what he described as fabricated reports, the founding chairman had allowed Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad for medical treatment. He claimed that the founding chairman himself was suffering from a serious eye condition and had lost up to 85 percent of his eyesight. Afridi demanded that he be provided medical treatment of his choice.

Concluding his speech, the chief minister said that resistance was the only option left and that all Pakistanis should be prepared for it.