CHARSADDA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has derided the provincial government for failing to call an in-camera meeting of the provincial assembly on the deteriorating law and situation in the province.

The governor said this while talking to local media persons at a dinner given in his honour by Naeem Khan Omarzai, the district president of Pakistan Peoples Party, at his residence here on Wednesday.

The governor said that chief ministers of all four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan had participated in the meeting, organised by the national Apex Committee but nobody opposed the proposed Azm-i-Istehkam operation. He said that in southern districts, especially in Dera Ismail Khan, there was a worsening law and order situation. He added that even central emir of JUI-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman, had time and again expressed security concerns facing the region.

Mr Kundi said after the passage of 18th Amendment, it was the responsibility of provincial government to maintain public order, suggesting that if provincial government was unable to maintain law and order, then it could seek federal government’s assistance.

Regarding development works in the province, the governor said that due to his personal efforts, the federal government allocated Rs19 billion for Chashma Right Bank Canal and also allocated an amount for Dir-Chitral Expressway. He said he was extremely grateful for cooperation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and others.

Regarding formation of own provincial HEC, the governor said that the KP provincial government has merely allocated Rs3 billion for education sector in this financial year, while compared to this, the Sindh government has allocated Rs25 billion for the purpose.

Regarding excessive load-shedding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the governor said that the chief minister was always giving statements about switching off Tarbela power house, adding that he could suggest to the federal government to hand over all three power distribution companies within the province to him to let his government handle the power supply distribution network in the province as per his aspirations.

He said that the provincial government was not taking any measures for resolving issues of youth. He said first-class cricket had not been played in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the past 15 years, despite that players from the province were participating in national team.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2024