“Speak Up Against Corruption and They Stage Dramas” — KP CM Sohail Afridi Hits Out at Vested Interests

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi launched a scathing criticism of entrenched corrupt elements within the province on Friday, warning that those siphoning public funds would not be spared — even as he acknowledged facing orchestrated campaigns against him whenever he raises his voice.
Addressing a ceremony marking the completion of Phase One of the Missing Link Road project in Peshawar, CM Afridi declared that an estimated Rs. 500 billion of the province’s annual budget is being misappropriated, and those responsible are living comfortably while public welfare suffers. “Whenever I speak up, dramas are staged against me,” he said, in what appeared to be a veiled reference to political and bureaucratic resistance to his anti-corruption drive.
The Chief Minister extended an open invitation to all stakeholders for constructive criticism aimed at reform and accountability, drawing a clear line between genuine oversight and politically motivated propaganda.
On the development front, Afridi reaffirmed that a Rs. 200 billion development package for Peshawar is well underway, noting that the announcement has already triggered discomfort in certain quarters. He added that a feasibility study for the Outer Ring Road would also be completed shortly, while work on the remaining phases of the Missing Link Road continues, albeit with land acquisition disputes causing delays at certain locations.
The Chief Minister also gave a firm assurance that the government would not forcibly acquire any private land, pledging that all outstanding issues would be resolved strictly within the framework of the law.