By: Taimor Khan
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has spent over Rs2.6 million on its one-year performance, while even lesser-known newspapers have been rewarded with advertisements worth lakhs.
According to sources, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is resorting to advertisements to show its one-year performance, in this regard, the provincial government is regularly publishing its one-year performance report, for which the government had also given the task of publicizing its performance through newspapers to the Information and Public Relations Department.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s Information Department issued advertisements to various newspapers regarding the government’s one-year performance, which were published on March 22 with the picture of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
According to the available documents, 11 newspapers have been given advertisements worth Rs26,91,098, of which three newspapers, daily Jang, Aaj and Ausaf, published advertisements on the front pages.
Aaj was given an advertisement worth Rs404,112, Jang was given an advertisement worth Rs293,948 and daily Ausaf Islamabad was given an advertisement worth Rs237,611.
Eight newspapers were given advertisements for their inside pages, daily Dawn Islamabad was given Rs 106,115, daily Peghamat Peshawar was given Rs252,725, daily Jamiat Sarhad Peshawar was given Rs186,856, Country News Peshawar was given Rs256,505, daily Azadi Swat was given Rs242,951, daily Siyaq Peshawar was given Rs213,622, Jurat Peshawar was given Rs232,297 and Siavash Kohat was given Rs264,913.
All newspapers have been given 216 cm advertisements.
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The Chief Minister expressed his displeasure over the publication of his photos on Saturday and issued orders to conduct an inquiry within three days and determine the responsible parties, after which the Chief Secretary removed Secretary Information Arshad Khan from his post and reported to the Establishment Department.
An attempt was made to contact Barrister Saif, the Chief Minister’s Advisor on Information, to find out his position on this matter, but he was neither contacted nor did he respond to the question sent.
