APC to evaluate the provincial government’s performance: Kundi.
KP governor hints at possibility of imposition of governor’s rule.
He laments lack of relief provided by KP govt for Kurram residents.
An All Parties Conference (APC) is set to take place today (Thursday) in Peshawar at the Governor’s House to discuss the peace situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially Kurram.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which rules in the province and is led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, has announced boycotting the APC, summoned by KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.
“The PPP [Pakistan Peoples Party] has no mandate in KP […] it wants to hold a lifeless exhibitory meeting to portray itself as a democratic party,” said the PTI in a statement a day earlier.
The recent episode of clashes in Kurram, triggered by an ambush on two separate convoys under police escort in November, has killed more than 130 people. However, a ceasefire is in place now, allowing life to return to normal in the district.
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Meanwhile, addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Governor Kundi said that the leaders of some 16 political parties have given consent to attend the APC.
The governor said that he personally invited all parties’ leadership, adding that political leaders were concerned over the deteriorating situation in Kurram, as neither the provincial cabinet nor the assembly had addressed the issue.
He said that the main objective of convening the APC was to discuss the current situation in Kurram with political allies and find an amicable and lasting solution.
Kundi appreciated all the politicians who accompanied him to Kohat to participate in a Jirga over the Kurram situation.
He deplored the apathy of the provincial government to address the provincial issues and pointed out that when people were being killed in Kurram the CM and his cabinet members were concentrating on violent protests.
The governor, a leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, deplored that except KP, nobody from Punjab and Sindh turned up to the PTI’s protest call on November 24.
He questioned the provincial government’s priorities, pointing out that millions of rupees had been released in the name of martyrs, but no tangible relief had been provided to the people of Kurram.
Kundi said that no relief was provided to the displaced families in Kurram by the KP government even tents, food and necessary aid were provided by the Red Crescent.
Governor’s rule?
Giving a brief of the APC, he said that a Jirga would be formed to urge the federal government to prioritise peace and development for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said that the APC would also evaluate the provincial government’s performance and warned that if the provincial government continued to fail in fulfilling its responsibilities, the federal government would be requested to take the necessary steps.
The Governor noted that the federal government could promulgate the governor’s rule in the province to address the issues.
The PPP leader further emphasised that maintaining peace and order was the primary responsibility of the CM, who, unfortunately, had only one point agenda to hold protests.
Kundi also slammed the provincial government for passing resolutions against institutions in the KP Assembly while neglecting to call a cabinet or assembly meeting to discuss the ongoing crisis in Kurram.
Referring to the PTI’s recent protest call in Islamabad, Kundi said that the former ruling party’s workers were again deceived in Islamabad after Gandapur and PTI founder Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi escaped from the scene and left the people to face the government crackdown.
Expressing concerns over most of PTI’s leadership from Punjab had taken refuge in Peshawar.
Censuring the arrests of Pashtuns in the federal capital political leaders who he said were actually responsible for the violent protests, the governor remarked that Pashtuns should not be linked with the PTI and that participation of limited numbers of Pashtuns did not mean that the entire community was supporting the party — which he alleged deceived people of KP in the name of bringing change.