Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has said that the presidential system deserves serious consideration, stressing that governance in Pakistan can improve if the country is divided into smaller administrative units, reported 24NewsHD TV channel Tuesday.
He added that the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had also expressed support for the presidential model in the past.
Speaking at an informal meeting with senior journalists in Islamabad, Gandapur said the state must come first and politics later. He noted that natural disasters had once again highlighted the need for long-term planning and national unity.
“We suffered losses in many cities due to rains. Buner, Shangla, Swabi and Swat were badly affected where landslides destroyed houses. Yet, our institutions mobilized and rescued people within 24 hours,” he said.
According to the chief minister, as many as 490 people have lost their lives in the recent floods across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The provincial government has announced compensation of Rs2 million for the deceased and Rs1 million for those who lost their homes, while cheques are being distributed to the injured. Gandapur admitted that cheque book shortages had temporarily delayed full compensation but assured that relief and rehabilitation work was continuing at an unprecedented pace.
He lamented that the absence of timely dam construction in the past had worsened flood devastation. “If we had built dams on time, this level of damage would not have occurred,” he remarked, adding that new dams were now under construction in Swabi, Mardan, and other districts, while cloudbursts and landslides remained a frequent threat in Malakand and Hazara divisions.
Reiterating the importance of water reservoirs, Gandapur said there should be a national consensus on the Kalabagh Dam, which he termed essential for the country’s future generations. “The problems related to Kalabagh Dam can be solved if all provinces come together,” he maintained.
The KP chief minister also emphasized that his government does not believe in spending public money on advertisements. “This is the people’s money. We should not use it for self-promotion. Our work should speak for itself,” he concluded.