TARIQ SAEED
PESHAWAR – Governor of KP Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday expressed unity in demanding the due rights of the province from the PML-N led federal government, also criticizing the Center’s indifferent attitude in this regard.
While the CM Afridi termed the behavior of the federal government as unconstitutional, Governor Kundi said denying provincial rights was a sheer injustice. The two bigwigs of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expressed these views in a rare show of unity during a joint Media Conference here Monday.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi came hard on the federal government over the suspension of gas supply in the province, ban on transportation of flour to KP, asking the Centre to ensure KP gets its due rights without further delay.
KP Chief Minister claimed that CNG stations were forced to shut down across the province due to the lack of gas supply, adding Article 158 of the Constitution clearly states that a gas-producing province has the first right over its resources.
He said the people of KP should not be forced into further difficulties, lamenting that decisions taken behind closed doors were being imposed on the province. He alleged that the federal government was adopting “unlawful and unconstitutional” behaviour in several development projects and claimed Rs12 billion allocated for the merged tribal districts had been deducted unfairly.
CM Afridi said suspension of gas in the province was an illegal act, urging all stakeholders not to support unconstitutional measures against KP.
Kundi questioned if the KP’s “fault” was producing gas and electricity for the country, saying the province was supplying cheap energy and mineral resources to the state. If we receive our water share, we will not have to purchase wheat. He said and asked authorities to take notice of the situation. The KP governor noted the province was already fighting terrorism and “carrying the coffins of police and army personnel”, warning that denying provincial rights would amount to injustice. Kundi, however, appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to resolve the province’s issues with the same speed as shown in other resolution of issues in other provinces.
Referring to the security situation, the KP CM said that if “interference ended” and a joint strategy was formed with the provincial government, peace could be restored in the province within 100 days. “First, sacrifices were sought from the public on petrol and electricity, and they are now being tested through CNG, Afridi regretted.
