By Fazal Amin Shinwari
LANDI KOTAL: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs, Sahibzada Muhammad Adnan Qadri, has rejected allegations regarding the suspension of an ongoing water supply scheme in Landi Kotal, calling them baseless and politically motivated.
In an official statement, the minister clarified that the water schemes in question were approved during the previous government’s tenure under the District Development Plan (DDP) for the fiscal year 2021–22. “At that time, I was neither a member of the provincial assembly nor involved in politics. Therefore, I have no connection with these schemes,” he stated.
Qadri emphasized that the current government only allocates funding for development schemes under the fiscal years 2024–25 and 2025–26. “Upon receiving public complaints, I contacted the Assistant Director of Local Government, who confirmed that the previous funding was sufficient only for the initial boring process, not for the complete execution of the scheme,” he added.
He further challenged his critics by saying, “If anyone believes that funds for the 2021–22 scheme are still available, they can visit my office, and I will issue written permission to proceed with the work. However, unfounded accusations and political point-scoring should be avoided.”
The minister assured that all ongoing projects initiated by the current government would be completed and reiterated his commitment to public service.
Meanwhile, a day earlier, residents of Haji Shamroz Kalay issued a press statement at the Landikotal Press Club, accusing Minister Qadri of halting work on a successfully bored tube well under a 2021–22 government scheme. They claimed that although the project had been approved through a formal government tender, the work was arbitrarily stopped on the minister’s orders.
The residents alleged that the area faces a severe water crisis and, despite repeated appeals, the scheme has not been resumed. They warned that the issue would be raised during the upcoming Tehsil Council session on June 25. If the matter remains unresolved, they vowed to launch a protest movement and take legal action.
