MARDAN: Awami National Party central leader Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has asked the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government to become a party in court on behalf of the public on the current CNG crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He stated this while speaking to mediapersons during a luncheon hosted by the party’s newly-elected district information secretary Haris Khan in honour of Mardan Press Club members here on Monday.

Hoti alleged that due to the regional conflict, a shortage of RLNG had emerged, resulting in the province’s gas being diverted to factories in Punjab, affecting domestic consumers, the CNG sector, and industries.

He further stated that restrictions on the transportation of wheat and flour from Punjab had increased prices in KP, asking the federal government to reduce the petroleum levy to lower petrol and diesel prices.

Mr Hoti asked the ruling party to set aside its political differences with the federal government and adopt a joint strategy to establish peace in the province.

He added that peace and national security were more important than politics in the current situation.

Mr Hoti said that in several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the government’s authority had virtually disappeared, and even police personnel were unsafe inside their police stations and checkpoints. He questioned how the police could protect the public under such circumstances.

He said that the government was limiting itself to condemnations and expressions of sympathy after terrorist incidents, whereas it must take full responsibility for this war.

He said that electric loadshedding had made people’s lives miserable in KP.

According to him, KP produces 7,000 megawatts of electricity while the province only requires 2,000 megawatts, yet electricity is still not being supplied properly.

Mr Hoti said there were reports of a new constitutional amendment, and made it clear that no political party was willing to accept it. He stated that, though the 18th Amendment granted powers to the provinces, adequate resources were not transferred to the federating units.

He alleged that the new amendment aims to transfer provincial resources to the federal government, which would be strongly opposed.

To a question about the financial crisis in the universities, the ex-chief minister said that during his tenure, resources received under the NFC Award were used to establish new universities across the province, including in Mardan.

On terrorism, he said it was the result of the wrong policies of the past 40 years.

He accused the KP chief minister of trying to absolve himself of the responsibility to ensure good governance and stop ‘corruption’ in the province.

On the issue of Afghan refugees’ repatriation, he said there was a lack of coordination between the federal and provincial governments on the matter.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2026