PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has urged the federal government to address the province’s pressing issues, saying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “should take interest” in resolving the matter.
Speaking to the media in Islamabad after meeting KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi at the Governor House in Peshawar earlier in the day, Kundi also said he had advised the chief minister to focus on “governance of the province rather than Adiala” — referring to PTI’s continued efforts and frequent protests outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi for the release of party founder Imran Khan.
Kundi warned that the situation in the province was becoming increasingly tense, saying the “people of KP have reached a point where if they take to the streets tomorrow, nobody could be held responsible for it”.
He called on the Centre to immediately address key issues faced by KP, including the suspension of CNG supply and restrictions on the movement of wheat.
Highlighting inter-provincial trade concerns, he said, “If Punjab has issues with supplying wheat to KP, then allow us passage to ensure supply from Sindh,” adding that KP authorities had been instructed to transport wheat from Sindh “via Balochistan and not through Punjab”.
Kundi maintained that, in his capacity as a “representative of the Centre,” he had engaged with all relevant stakeholders, including provincial authorities and ministers, to resolve the issues.
He once again urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to “take interest in the matter,” warning that continued neglect could force citizens to resort to street protests.
“When you do not give them roti, and there is no one to listen to their problems, they will certainly take to the streets,” he said.
He further assured cooperation with the provincial government “as long as it’s about the peace, harmony and issues of the province,” stressing the need for practical governance measures.
Kundi said he had told CM Afridi to prioritize governance over political engagements related to Adiala, questioning how the province could be effectively run if the chief minister was frequently absent.
“Who will be responsible for governing the province if you are sitting outside Adiala for five days of the week?” he remarked, suggesting that PTI should separate governance responsibilities from its protest-driven agenda.
He even quipped that there should be two factions within PTI — “one to focus on governance and one for Adiala”.
Earlier, in a post on X, Kundi said his meeting with CM Afridi included discussions on key governance gaps affecting KP, particularly disruptions in essential supplies and public relief systems.
He stressed that he had conveyed the need for immediate and practical steps by the provincial government to improve service delivery and address public concerns.
Kundi also highlighted the importance of safeguarding KP’s constitutional rights, along with strengthening welfare and operational support for the KP police.
The development comes after Kundi’s earlier engagement with PTI leaders on May 10, where he discussed the province’s constitutional and economic rights and emphasized the need to present a strong case before the federal government to ensure justice and fair treatment.
Since taking office in October 2025, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has repeatedly accused the Centre of delaying funds for KP, particularly those allocated to the merged districts under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.
He has also criticized the Punjab government’s tighter restrictions on inter-provincial wheat and flour movement under a permit system introduced to control prices.
Meanwhile, the province has been grappling with a worsening CNG crisis since April, which has disrupted economic activity, forced hundreds of filling stations to shut down, and left millions of citizens struggling for affordable fuel.