PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday jointly demanded the immediate removal of unlawful restrictions on wheat transportation and gas supply to CNG stations in the province, calling the measures unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Addressing a joint press conference at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly alongside Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and Opposition Leader Dr. Ibadullah, Governor Kundi said that both treasury and opposition benches are united for the rights of the province. He appreciated the Speaker for bringing together the government and opposition on such important provincial issues and said that wheat transportation restrictions and closure of CNG stations have become major concerns for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The governor said the federal government has imposed lockdown measures while CNG stations were also shut down for a long time, adding that the poor segment of society is suffering the most due to the suspension of CNG supply. He added that the provincial leadership was in contact with the federal government regarding the issue and maintained that the closure of CNG in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was an open violation of the Constitution.
Faisal Kundi further said that the province was also not receiving its due share of water, adding that if Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received its rightful water share, there would be no need to seek wheat from elsewhere. He urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate notice of the CNG stations closure and address other issues facing the province on a priority basis. The governor warned that if poor people were denied flour and CNG, public reaction could intensify, stressing that all constitutional obligations should be fulfilled in letter and spirit.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said that Article 151 of the Constitution does not allow any province to impose restrictions on the transportation of food items. He alleged that the Government of Punjab was treating Khyber Pakhtunkhwa unfairly despite repeated letters from the provincial government regarding the issue of flour and wheat transportation. The chief minister also said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa citizens were already providing electricity, gas, and other resources to the country but were still forced to buy expensive flour, which he termed unjust.
He added that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was producing 508 MMCFD gas while consuming only around 150 MMCFD, yet the province was not even being provided its required share. Sohail Afridi said Articles 151 and 158 of the Constitution are being violated continuously, adding that discriminatory treatment against the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was harmful for national unity. He also criticized the federal government for not releasing committed funds for projects including CRBC, despite the provincial government contributing its own share.
The chief minister said the provincial government had formulated a joint strategy with opposition members to fight the province's financial case, and added that durable peace requires a unified policy. He claimed that if the strategy proposed by the provincial government against terrorism was implemented, peace could be restored within 100 days.
Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Babar Saleem Swati and Opposition Leader Dr. Ibadullah also addressed the press conference and expressed their support for the joint stance taken by the governor and the chief minister. Provincial Information Minister Shafi Jan was also present on the occasion.
