PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Saturday said the tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel should not become a justification for imposing additional financial pressures on citizens through increased petroleum prices.

He said that the governments had a responsibility to provide relief to citizens during challenging times rather than transferring the burden of crises directly onto the public.

Mr Afridi said this during a meeting with federal ministers for finance and petroleum Muhammad Aurangzeb and Ali Pervaiz Malik respectively to review the potential implications of the ongoing tensions in the Middle East between Iran, the United States and Israel, particularly in relation to possible disruptions to petroleum supply lines.

In an official statement issued from his office, the chief minister said that it did not reflect sound governance for governments to continue unnecessary and excessive expenditures while shifting the consequences of crises onto the people through increased petroleum prices.

Says relief should be given to people

Mr Afridi emphasised that in times of crises governments must reduce luxury and non-essential expenditures and redirect available resources towards provision of relief and targeted subsidies to the public in order to shield ordinary citizens from the adverse effects of rising inflation and economic uncertainty.

He clarified that the KP government’s position regarding the emerging fuel supply situation by saying that the provincial government would not support any measures that directly placed the burden on public.

Instead, the chief minister stressed the need for governments to demonstrate fiscal restraint and responsible financial management, it read.

During the meeting, the chief minister was briefed in detail by the federal authorities on the potential supply constraints and the possible impact on fuel prices.

The chief minister reiterated that the KP government would support all measures aimed at providing relief to citizens and reducing economic pressure on the public.

“However, the provincial government will not endorse any proposal that could further burden people who are already facing the challenges of inflation and rising living costs,” the statement quoted the chief minister as saying.

Highlighting the principle of public accountability, the chief minister stated that governments and public institutions operated through the taxes contributed by citizens.

“Therefore, it remains the fundamental responsibility of governments to prioritise public welfare and ensure that relief measures are extended to the people during difficult economic circumstances,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2026