Swat Tourist Drowning Tragedy Exposes PTI’s 12-Year Governance Failures: Atta Tarar

ISLAMABAD — Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Saturday declared that the tragic drowning of tourists in Swat had exposed the deep-rooted failures of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s 12-year rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking at a press conference alongside State Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik, Tarar held PTI’s governance directly responsible for what he described as an avoidable disaster that has shaken the nation.

He lamented that despite the availability of advanced rescue equipment in 2025, the provincial administration failed to save stranded tourists — including women and children — who were clearly visible and just a few hundred feet away from safety.

“This is not just the death of tourists,” Tarar stated, “this is the death of PTI’s entire governance system.”

According to the minister, only a single rescue effort was attempted hours after the tourists were stranded, using a makeshift boat, while no helicopter support was provided — a stark contrast to the air transport used frequently by the PTI founder and the KPK Chief Minister for their own movements.

He criticized the provincial government for suspending only a Deputy Commissioner while ignoring the responsibility of the Chief Minister, who, Tarar alleged, refused to even set up emergency camps for the victims.

“The irony is that while bodies were being pulled out, the CM said it was not his job to provide camps. If that is not your job, then what is?” Tarar asked.

He further questioned if the KPK Chief Minister’s duties included “attacking Islamabad, humiliating the public, and following orders from Adiala Jail,” referencing the former PTI chairman’s current incarceration.

Tarar also attacked the performance of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), which receives millions from the budget yet failed to deliver during the crisis. “If you cannot run rescue operations, at least stay silent. Or shut down the PDMA altogether,” he asserted.

Highlighting examples of more effective governance, Tarar praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for building robust rescue and anti-encroachment systems in Punjab to protect tourists and the public.

He went on to allege systemic corruption within KPK’s administration, pointing to the Kohistan scandal, now under NAB investigation, and argued that the entire PTI-led system — not just one deputy commissioner — deserved to be held accountable.

Answering a question, Tarar reaffirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was fully committed to democratic unity, recalling his recent handshake with the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament as a symbol of political maturity.

Thank you for reading! For comprehensive news coverage and exclusive stories, visit SafartiTarjuman.com