PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi on Friday warned of reassessing the provincial government’s current approach and discontinuing cooperation with the federal government over delay in hearing of cases of PTI founder Imran Khan.

“If such trends persist, our provincial government may consider discontinuing cooperation with the federal government, including the option of a boycott,” the chief minister told a cabinet meeting.

He said that Pakistan was increasingly being recognised globally for its role in promoting peace and dialogue and that approach was long advocated by Imran Khan.

Mr Afridi said that Mr Khan had always maintained that military operations and wars never offered sustainable solutions to conflicts as lasting peace lied in dialogue and negotiated settlements, according to an official statement issued here.

He said that the ruling PTI had prioritised national interest over political considerations and demonstrated responsible political behaviour.

The chief minister said that participation in federal-level meetings, despite political costs, was undertaken in good faith to support national objectives.

He, however, resented the “continued political discrimination” against the PTI, including use of excessive force against workers and violation of the sanctity of private spaces.

“Incidents involving the mistreatment of Imran Khan’s family members are deeply concerning for us,” he said.

Mr Afridi also complained about the denial of Imran and his wife’s access to his personal physicians and family members, declaring the act a violation of their fundamental rights.

He took notice of the suspension of CNG supply in the province and said under the law, provinces where natural resources were produced had the first right to them to meet their domestic and commercial needs.

The chief minister said that the discontinuation of CNG supply to KP by the SNGPL was not only contrary to the law but also undermined the rights of the province.

He directed authorities to take up the matter with SNGPL on an urgent basis and warned that failure to address the issue would invite a “strong response, including the option of a boycott.”

Mr Afridi said that the finalisation of the Annual Development Programme 2026–27 was in its last phase and was being consolidated for implementation. He directed all departments to fully utilise their capacities to ensure comprehensive and effective planning.

He announced that people would be actively engaged in the development planning process.

“Public input will be sought on key service delivery areas including roads, water supply and healthcare facilities,” he said.

The chief minister said a dedicated feedback mechanism would be made available through the official social media platforms of deputy commissioners, enabling citizens to submit their suggestions and grievances directly.

He said that the feedback portal would remain open from May 4 to 8, encouraging broad-based public participation.

Mr Afridi said that the received inputs would be duly incorporated into the ADP, with a view to ensuring responsive planning and effective implementation aligned with public needs.

Following the cabinet meeting, special assistant to the chief minister on information Shafi Jan told reporters that the cabinet had approved the KP Fiscal Responsibility & Debt Management (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introducing a series of fiscal and debt management reforms aimed at strengthening financial discipline, refining borrowing limits, and improving institutional oversight of public debt.

According to him, the proposed amendments seek to promote prudent and well-planned borrowing for productive development while reducing reliance on excessive debt through enhanced fiscal management mechanisms.

“Under the amended fiscal limitation provisions of Section 9(b) of the law, the government shall ensure that net investment in non-financial assets in any financial year is not less than 20 per cent of the province’s average revenue. In cases where such investment falls below the prescribed threshold, prior approval of the government will be mandatory.

“The amendments also revise debt limitation provisions under Section 10. According to the revised framework, debt servicing in any financial year shall not exceed five per cent of the province’s average revenue. However, with prior government approval, debt servicing may exceed the limit up to a maximum of seven per cent of the average provincial revenue,” he said.

Mr Jan also said the combined stock of total public debt and guarantees shall not exceed 75 per cent of the province’s average revenue at any given time.

He added that in exceptional circumstances, the government might approve an increase beyond that threshold, provided that the combined stock didn’t exceed 100 per cent of the Province’s average revenue.

“The amendment bill further says that autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies shall not be authorised to raise loans, incur debt, or issue guarantees without prior approval of the provincial government,” he said.

The cabinet also approved the Budget Strategy Paper (BSP) 2026-27, outlining the provincial government’s fiscal priorities and development roadmap for the next financial year.

According to the aide to the CM, the strategy focuses on strengthening tax and non-tax revenues, reducing reliance on borrowing, improving returns on public investment and promoting youth empowerment and environmental protection.

The cabinet also approved amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prisons Rules, 2018, specifically revising Rule 545 to facilitate virtual visits and interviews for prisoners with their female family members, as well as elderly and sick relatives.

“The amendment aims to improve access to family interaction on humanitarian grounds while ensuring convenience, dignity and security through the use of virtual communication facilities in prisons across the province,” he said.

The cabinet approved a performance framework under the good governance roadmap aimed at incentivising high performance among government officers and strengthening service delivery and governance across the province.

Under the framework, officers demonstrating exceptional performance on key interventions would be eligible for incentives of up to four running basic pays, while recognition letters would also be placed on their service records.

Mr Jan said the government had allocated Rs20 million for the current financial year against the achievement of 25 governance and service delivery milestones during the year.

He said the cabinet approved the mutation, transfer and waiver of lease process for sites identified for the construction of civil dispensaries in polio virus-related super high-risk union councils of Peshawar to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and support ongoing anti-polio efforts in vulnerable areas.

“Also, three bills relating to the salaries, privileges and entitlements of members, the speaker and the deputy speaker were presented before the cabinet for deliberation,” he said.

The aide to the CM dismissed reports claiming lifetime privileges are being granted to the speaker and deputy speaker as incorrect, saying no such provisions exist in the proposed legislation.

He added that reports regarding Section 20 of the proposed bill, which allegedly entitled the speaker to post-retirement benefits such as a BPS-17 private secretary, cook and other staff for life, were based on a misunderstanding, as the bill contained no such clauses.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026