Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has praised provincial ministers, special assistants and advisers for increasing direct engagement with the public and undertaking regular field visits to assess issues faced by citizens.

Addressing the 56th meeting of the provincial cabinet, Afridi said public visits help the government identify problems directly from the people and also provide insight into the attitude of officials toward citizens and shortcomings in service delivery.

The chief minister also praised the performance of the provincial Finance Department, saying it had managed the province’s economy effectively despite limited resources. He said the KP government had collected Rs150 billion against a revenue target of Rs129 billion, while the revenue target for the current year has been set at Rs180 billion.

Afridi urged cabinet members to focus on their responsibilities, transparency and resolving public issues rather than responding to their political opponents. He said those who stand for truth, transparency and an anti-corruption position should expect an increase in opposition.

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Referring to corruption at the federal level, the chief minister said no one was raising a voice over the Rs5.3 trillion in alleged corruption mentioned in an IMF report, adding that public taxpayers’ money had been looted.

Afridi said development projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were visible to the public, but their pace needed to be accelerated further.

The chief minister also expressed concern over reports regarding the health of PTI founder Imran Khan, saying the reports circulating in the media had caused concern across the country.

He claimed that when Imran Khan was arrested and imprisoned, his health was completely fine and that he was “super fit.” Afridi alleged that Khan’s health had deteriorated due to negligence by the prison administration and the federal government.

He further said that Imran Khan’s sisters and lawyers were not allowed to meet him despite a scheduled meeting day. Afridi noted that during nearly three years of imprisonment, Khan had never sought relief on health grounds.

The KP government, he said, strongly demands that Imran Khan be given access to his personal doctors, family members, lawyers and friends. Afridi described such access as Khan’s constitutional and legal right.