Development in the tribal districts.

IF the Punjab government is struggling with governance issues, it appears the KP administration is not far behind.

A recent report in this newspaper says the government departments have utilised only 0.4pc of the Rs83bn development outlay for the merged districts in the first six months of the current fiscal year.

After the latest review of the development portfolio, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan conveyed his displeasure to the 13 departments responsible for this poor show.

The breakdown of the funds spent on development projects, and more importantly, funds not spent at all, paints a dismal picture of the performance of yet another provincial government headed by the PTI.

When it comes to making speeches and commitments about mainstreaming these districts, politicians have been falling over each other to solemnly pledge revolutionary changes. The reality, however, tells another story.

The hefty sum of Rs83bn is a good start because the region has long been neglected and is in dire need of uplift.

After the money is allocated comes the real challenge of skill, capacity and commitment: how to spend it effectively, efficiently and transparently. It is here that the provincial government of the PTI has been falling short repeatedly.

The unfinished BRT project is just one, albeit the most visible and expensive, illustration of the poor governance skills that PTI leaders have displayed in KP.

This mismanagement and poor performance comes at a steep cost for both citizens and the state. The uplift of the merged districts should...