PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Thursday announced that if he wasn’t allowed to meet PTI founder Imran Khan in jail by June 9, a sit-in would be staged by the party outside the National Assembly next day.
“All available constitutional and legal avenues have been exhausted, so peaceful protest constitutes our legitimate democratic right,“ the CM said after performing the groundbreaking for an underpass at Kabootar Chowk on the Ring Road, a major urban mobility project being undertaken under the provincial government’s flagship Revitalisation of Peshawar Programme.
The initiative is meant to restore the provincial capital’s glory and transform it into a modern, integrated and sustainable urban centre, according to an official statement from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
Says next budget will focus on welfare of low-income, marginalised segments of society
The Kabootar Chowk Underpass is being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs1.989 billion with a 60-day deadline.
The CM said that the upcoming provincial budget would embody Mr Imran’s vision and place particular emphasis on the welfare of low-income and marginalised segments of society.
He said that people across the country wished to see Mr Khan receive appropriate medical care.
Mr Afridi said that in line with the vision of the PTI founder, the provincial government had embarked upon a new phase of development focused on public welfare, infrastructure modernisation, youth empowerment and inclusive economic growth.
He said that implementation of the historic Rs200 billion development programme would fundamentally transform the urban landscape of Peshawar and enable the capital city to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population through modern civic amenities and improved public services.
The CM said that the underpass project would significantly improve traffic flow, reduce travel time, generate savings in fuel consumption and provide safer and more efficient transportation facilities to commuters.
He said the provincial government was committed to developing Peshawar into a modern metropolitan city equipped with quality urban infrastructure, an efficient transport network and enhanced economic opportunities.
Referring to the security challenges faced by the province, Mr Afridi said that the people of KP had borne a disproportionate burden during the fight against terrorism, sacrificing more than 80,000 lives in the process.
He complained that certain policy decisions had again created uncertainty and hardship for residents of the merged districts and tribal regions.
On fiscal matters, the CM said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not receiving its due share of resources.
He added that the financial integration of the merged districts remained incomplete despite their administrative merger.
Mr Afridi said the Centre’s substantial financial liabilities towards the province remained unresolved and that delays affected a number of strategic development projects in the province.
He said that the Peshawar Bus Terminal project had been completed but remained operationally constrained due to unresolved connectivity issues.
The CM said that progress on a dam project in Swat was being delayed due to non-issuance of NOC to foreign technical experts by the federal government.
He said that the provincial government would continue to safeguard public interests and pursue policies aligned with the aspirations of the people of the province.
Mr Afridi announced the introduction of a comprehensive youth policy under which interest-free financing facilities will be provided to young people to support entrepreneurship and self-employment initiatives.
He also said that a separate interest-free financing programme was being developed for minority communities to enhance economic participation and promote inclusive growth.
The CM said the PDA Toll Plaza Underpass was scheduled for groundbreaking on June 13 at a cost of Rs1.681 billion, while the Hazarkhwani Underpass was to be launched on June 20 at a cost of Rs1.257 billion.
He added that the Warsak Road Flyover was slated for groundbreaking on June 23 with an estimated cost of Rs2.283 billion and the Palosi Road Flyover would be launched on June 27 at a cost of Rs1.898 billion.
Local government minister Meena Khan Afridi, information minister Shafi Jan, MNA Asif Khan, senior government officials and elected representatives attended the ceremony.
Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026