Governor says PPP not approached for KP budget support

NOWSHERA, Jun 20 (APP): Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi has said that Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had neither formally contacted the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) nor sought its support regarding the provincial budget.

Addressing a workers’ convention in Pabbi tehsil, Kundi said that if the provincial government approached the PPP in future, any decision would be taken only after consultation with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He rejected social media reports claiming that the PPP had secured political or financial benefits in return for supporting the budget, terming such reports baseless.

The convention was also addressed by PPP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha, Divisional General Secretary Mian Rashid Ali Shah Kakakhel, District President Idrees Khan Khattak and District General Secretary Falak Niaz.

The Governor said no individual within the party had the authority to make such decisions independently. He announced that the PPP would hold workers’ conventions across all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to convey the message of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to the public.

Criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, Kundi alleged that despite remaining in power in the province for 13 years, it had failed to provide employment, housing and lasting peace, while corruption had reached alarming levels.

He urged the media to question the provincial government over rising insecurity, unemployment and corruption.

Referring to the recent suspension of CNG supply, he said the provincial government had failed to resolve the issue for two months, adding that supply was restored only after the government and opposition adopted a joint stance to seek the province’s rights from the federation.

The Governor also criticised the provincial government’s response to restrictions on wheat transportation from Punjab and said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had failed to effectively secure its constitutional share in electricity, gas and mineral resources from the federal government.

He said if the federation failed to provide the province with its due rights, the provincial leadership should present its case more effectively. He attributed many of the province’s problems to weak leadership.

Paying tribute to police, Frontier Corps and other security personnel for their sacrifices in maintaining peace, Kundi demanded that salaries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police be brought at par with those of police forces in other provinces.

He also questioned the performance of PTI founder Imran Khan during his tenure as prime minister, asking what concrete measures had been taken for the development and welfare of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during that period.