Muhammad Irshad
PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) parliamentary leader in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Ahmad Kundi, on Wednesday advised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) provincial government to read the Constitution before criticising Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.
Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, Mr Kundi said the provincial government should abandon the policy of confrontation with the federal government and instead pursue reconciliation in the interest of the people of the province.
He was accompanied by PPP parliamentary committee members, including MPA Mehr Sultana Advocate, MPA Shazia Tehmas, Arbab Zarak and PPP minority wing leader Bahari Lal.
Mr Kundi criticised the provincial cabinet for holding a special meeting following the governor’s decision to convene a high-level meeting on the province’s law and order situation.
He said the governor had the constitutional authority to play his role when the chief minister or provincial government failed to address a particular issue.
“Those criticising Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari should first read the Constitution,” he said, alleging that the constitutional provisions had been “left gathering dust in cupboards”.
Mr Kundi also criticised Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for his absence from important federal forums. He claimed that the chief minister had not attended meetings of the National Finance Commission (NFC) and the Council of Common Interests (CCI) despite being invited.
“These are the forums where issues concerning the rights and interests of the province are discussed,” he said.
The PPP leader said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing a serious security situation and argued that the provincial government should focus on addressing terrorism instead of engaging in political confrontation with the centre.
He claimed that the province was largely dependent on federal resources and said greater coordination between the provincial and federal governments was necessary to deal with the security situation.
Mr Kundi also criticised the PTI over its political strategy, saying that a 12-hour-long dialogue process with the federal government had ultimately failed. He said Mr Bhutto-Zardari had played a role in bringing the PTI to the negotiating table but alleged that the PTI itself later contributed to the failure of the talks.
Referring to the PTI’s protest politics, he said the provincial government should pursue reconciliation rather than confrontation with the centre.
The PPP leader also criticised the provincial government over what he described as inconsistent positions on public protests. He alleged that PPP supporters had previously faced baton charges and tear gas during a demonstration outside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
Mr Kundi further claimed that the province had continued to face major governance and security challenges over the past several years, despite successive governments.
He alleged that federal policies aimed at countering terrorism had not been adequately implemented by the provincial government and that criticism of the centre had replaced effective coordination.
The PPP parliamentary leader said security forces and police personnel continued to lose their lives in attacks and called for greater cooperation among federal and provincial institutions.
He also urged Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to focus on his constitutional responsibilities rather than regularly leading protests against the federal government.