PESHAWAR: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s lawmakers have complained to Chief Minister Sohail Afridi about “corruption in government departments, poor law and order in the province and indifference to police, district administration and bureaucracy to their legitimate demands related to people’s issues”.
They all gathered during a meeting of the PTI’s parliamentary party on Sunday night.
Insiders told Dawn that CM Afridi had convened the parliamentary party moot in light of the social media reports about a rift among the ruling party’s lawmakers.
Reports of rift emerged soon after the induction of new ministers, advisers and special assistants who took oath on May 22. Some MPAs are understood to be unhappy for being not included in the provincial cabinet.
Afridi calls PTI parliamentary party meeting
Sources said that 52 out of 92 PTI MPAs attended the meeting and Speaker of the KP Assembly Babar Saleem Swati was among them.
“I think around 20 MPAs didn’t show up. They are obviously disgruntled,” one of the participants told Dawn.
He said that some MPAs lodged their complaints with the CM regarding the attitude of the police officers, deputy and assistant commissioners and revenue officials, insisting none of them listen to their requests for resolution of public issues.
“MPAs informed the chief minister that corruption has increased in the revenue department despite records digitisation, while patwaris are not doing our legitimate work without bribing them,” he said.
One of the MPAs told the chief minister that whenever PTI lawmakers asked the respective station police officers (SHOs) for any legitimate legal work, the latter didn’t listen but acted whenever the residents bribe them.
A lawmaker from the southern districts told the chief minister to take the law and order situation seriously, saying the locals cannot step out after sunset.
A legislator from northern parts of the province highlighted substandard work on development schemes and said the contractors complained about the kickbacks being taken by the officials of the respective departments.
When contacted, minister for information and public relations Shafi Jan claimed that 75 lawmakers were present in the PTI parliamentary party meeting convened to show the party’s strength.
He said that the remaining MPAs were not present in the province as some of them were abroad and four of them were in Gilgit-Baltistan.
“The meeting was held positively and concluded smoothly and all MPAs are united in the leadership of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi,” he said.
Regarding the MPAs complaints presented during the meeting, the minister said that the lawmakers had some reservations about the bureaucracy that would be removed soon.
Earlier, CM Afridi welcomed lawmakers to the meeting and noted that their presence reflected the cohesion and collective commitment of the party’s elected representatives despite attempts to create divisions within the parliamentary ranks, according to a statement issued here.
He said that no force could divide them or move them away from Imran Khan’s vision and ideology.
The CM said the session was convened to deliberate on concerns relating to the health of Imran Khan and the provincial government’s preparations for the upcoming budget.
He expressed serious concern about jailed PTI founder Imran Khan’s health, saying negligence on the part of prison authorities and the indifference of Punjab and federal governments have resulted in around 85 per cent loss of vision in one of Imran Khan’s eyes.
The CM said that the forthcoming budget would be distinctly focused on public welfare and would incorporate a number of new initiatives for the people of the province.
The meeting also reviewed issues relating to provincial rights, resource allocation and outstanding financial obligations. The CM expressed concern over the persistent constraints by the federal government affecting the province’s access to its constitutional and financial entitlements.
Meanwhile, the PTI constituted the Parliamentary and Political Coordination Committee for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to “facilitate and improve liaison and coordination between the national and provincial parliamentarians, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the provincial party organisation”.
Senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser was made the chairman of the committee, with its members including KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, PTI KP general Secretary Ali Asghar Khan, MNA Muhammad Atif Khan, minister local government Meena Khan Afridi and MPA Akbar Ayub Khan.
The committee will advise the CM, ministers, PTI provincial president and the leadership of Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan on matters falling within their respective domains.
Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2026
