The Chief ministership of Pervez Khattak ran from 31 May 2013 to 6 June 2018. It was the coalition of provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), and Awami Jamhuri Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP), which later merged with PTI.
Khattak carried out healthcare reforms, such as introducing a Health Insurance Scheme, the Sehat Sahulat Program for poor people and an 'Insulin for life' fund. He also suspended the medical superintendent and staff of a Peshawar children's hospital after inspection. The provincial government severed links with the QWP over corruption and suspended membership of its minister. However, the QWP and Ziaullah Afridi had accused that the Khattak cabinet itself was involved in corruption. Khattak also sacked ministers from its own party, including Shaukat Ali Yousafzai and an advisor to Pervez Khattak over issues of poor performance. Upper limits restricting 'overage' girls above ages 25 to 27 in college admissions was abolished.
The policy of Madrassah reforms, especially funding Darul Uloom Haqqania renowned for its links with Taliban and killers of Benazir Bhutto was criticised by many. Despite PTI saying it would ban VIP culture and protocol, several roads were blocked for Pervez Khattak's convoy. The financial management of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government entitled it to Rs 1.5 billion ($150 million) from the federal government. The government also said it had begun construction of 350 small dams.
Legislations
Budget
2013–2014
The administration began on 13 May 2013, when Pervez Khattak was elected as the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by receiving 84 votes out of 124 from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. He was the secretary general of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He was nominated by the party chief Imran Khan for the post in the parliamentary board meeting, and the parliamentary board after the discussion agreed to nominate him for chief ministership of Pakhtunkhwa.
On June 17, the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government presented a balanced, tax-free budget for the fiscal year 2013–14. Finance Minister Siraj ul Haq presented Rs 344 billion budget in the provincial assembly session, which began with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair. The total resources (revenue and non-revenue) and total expenditure both have been estimated at Rs 344 billion, making it a balanced budget. No new tax was imposed. The government proposed an increase of 15 per cent in the salaries and pension of government employees. The minimum limit of the retired employees' pension has been increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000, while the minimum wages limit has been increased to Rs 10,000. A handsome amount of Rs 118 billion has been allocated for the ADP (annual development programme), showing a 12 per cent increase. The ADP covers a total of 983 projects– including 609 ongoing and 374 new development schemes.
The government's policies are geared towards radical change. At the end of its tenure, it aims at successfully imposing a uniform education system, ending corruption in government offices and bringing economic and political stability to the militancy-hit region. The administration is closely supervised by Imran Khan who chairs the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Development Advisory Committee. The committee comprises senior PTI members, including Asad Umar, Jehangir Khan Tareen, Ali Asghar Khan, Khalid Mehsud and Rustam Shah Mohmand.
It also increased 30% of total spending for education to 102 billion rupees while Rs 1.97 billion for promotion of technical education and manpower training. The minister said that Rs 22.80 billion have been earmarked for the health sector, Rs 23.78 billion for police, Rs3.12 billion for Irrigation, Rs2.91 billion for agriculture, Rs1.27 billion for the environment, Rs 4.93 billion for communication and works, Rs0.24 billion for pension and Rs2.50 billion for subsidy on wheat, while Rs 11.16 billion have been put aside for debt clearance. The budget was a brainchild of Asad Umar, according to The Express Tribune 'Budgets in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have historically been a litany of complaints against the federal government, followed by a recitation of numbers that, frequently, the PTI-led Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government delivered their first governing document and made sure to lay out their strategy for the development of the province and connect it to their spending decisions, as laid out in the numbers.'
Right to Information Bill On July 10, 2013, the provincial Cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa approved the "Right to Information Bill" to guarantee people's access to information and promote transparency in affairs of the government. Under the proposed law, all matters of the government would be displayed on the official website of the provincial government and in case of seeking any information anybody would submit an application.
Local government laws Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government on July 21, 2013, expressed its willingness to enact laws allocating a quota for youth seats in the local government (LG) setup. The PTI has also suggested legislation to make the female electorate's participation mandatory only when voting for women candidates vying for local government seats. Local government setup would have union councils and district councils comprising farmers and women representatives. The development funds would be given to local governments instead of members of the provincial assemblies. It is expected the elections would be held in September 2013 for a 4-year term. A local government bill was finally passed in October 2013 and included comprehensive reform and devolution of power to Local Government, which included financial and administrative independence, which is unprecedented in Pakistani history.
K-P Population Policy 2013 On January 12, 2014, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government published the first draft for population policy. According to the draft the government plans to decrease the population growth rate from 2.05% to 1.8% by 2020, by focusing on a major sensitisation drive, particularly among the youth and women, by proposing the inclusion of family planning in the curriculum for higher secondary education and academic levels above it.
Corruption, accountability and transparency Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission
Ramadan price regulations Unlike Punjab province, which experienced a runaway rise in prices during Ramadan, due to unfair consumer practices, in Pakhtunkhwa online price markets meant that businesses were forced to sell their goods at a non-monopolistic price, in line with fair trade rules.
Asset declaration On August 1, 2013, the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa directed all the government employees in the province to declare their assets by August 30, 2013. K-P minister for health and provincial government spokesperson Shaukat Ali Yousafzai stated that all the secretaries of the government departments were directed to issue notices to their employees to declare assets by August 30, 2013. He added that if politicians are required to declare their financial assets to the nation the same law should also be applied to government employees.
Biometric polling On January 2, 2014, The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government pushed the Election Commission to hold the forthcoming local government election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa using the biometric system and offered to assume the costs for such an approach. Official sources told The News that the experience of the recent mock polling held by the Election Commission in cooperation with the provincial government and NADRA at four polling stations in urban and rural Peshawar was discussed at a meeting in Islamabad and the shortcomings were reviewed.
They said another mock polling using the biometric machines developed by National Database and Registration Authority would now be held in Islamabad, possibly before January 14 to see if the process could be improved. The official sources said the PTI-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was keen to try the biometric system in the local government election in the province to ensure transparent polls and was ready to bear the cost that is estimated at between one and two billion rupees. An estimated 50,000 biometric machines would be required for polling votes in the province.KP govt continues to push for biometric polling. However, biometric polling is yet to take place. Hafiz Rauf
Development Education
Education City On December 16, 2013, The Express Tribune stated that around 20 international universities had expressed an interest in opening up campuses at ‘Education City’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The proposed hub will accommodate campuses of national and international universities to provide Pakistani students with the opportunity to obtain foreign degrees at home, stated officials of the provincial higher education department. Around 30,000 kanals of land in Jehangira will be used to build the education city. The project will be adjacent to the proposed Mega-City near the Swabi Interchange on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway.
Moreover, National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan and Bahria University agreed to open campuses in Education City.
Enrollment drive
On September 28, 2013, The Express Tribune reported that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government had enrolled 142,140 children in schools across the province since the enrollment drive was launched on September 10, according to the education department. Alif Ailaan, a campaign for education reform, is supporting the K-P government's initiative to increase enrollment through its Alif Ailaan Taleemi Karavan. The caravan started the third leg of its journey in Charsadda, where a discussion on the importance of education was held with local communities followed by the enrolment of 16 children. The caravan then moved on to Mardan where it was received by Atif along with more than 350 members of civil society, teachers’ unions, parents and community members. An enrollment ceremony was held following the event where the education minister himself enrolled 10 children.
Since the enrolment drive commenced, 6,486 children have been enrolled in Charsadda, 14,341 in Mardan and 21,821 in the Peshawar district, which currently leads the enrolment headcount. Kohistan is at the bottom of the list with only 531 school enrolments. The data from other districts have not been released by the government as yet.
Biometric attendance system On August 28, 2013, the K-P Government installed a global positioning satellite (GPS)-based biometric system (BMS) to ensure 100% attendance of teachers. The BMS mechanism is followed by a file tracking system wherein all records of the education department and schools will be computerised. This will ensure the availability of every record at all times.
Uniform learning system
On January 6, 2014 the Express Tribune reported that as part of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's ‘jihad against illiteracy,’ the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government had announced the new medium of instruction in state-run schools. A uniform learning system is part of PTI's six-point education policy, which also looks to pad the education budget and boost adult literacy. The most recent annual budget saw a 40% increase in funds allotted to the education department, giving K-P the means to change the medium of instruction for grade one. Starting with the new academic year in April, students of grade one across the province will be studying mathematics and science in the English language. Before letting students dive into the new system, the government will train and prepare teachers for the new course. Moreover, education at the primary level has been made free of cost, and female students have been promised a monthly stipend of RS. 200 to encourage schooling and education for women.
Tameer-e-School