PESHAWAR: In a rare show of unity, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday jointly criticised the federal government over the suspension of gas supply in the province, demanding that KP be granted its constitutional rights.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Peshawar, CM Afridi said CNG stations across the province were being shut down due to the gas shortage, stressing that Article 158 of the Constitution clearly gives gas-producing provinces the first right over their natural resources.
The chief minister said the people of KP should not be pushed into more hardships, alleging that decisions made “behind closed doors” were being imposed on the province without consultation.
He further accused the federal government of adopting “unlawful and unconstitutional” behaviour in various development projects, claiming that Rs12 billion allocated for the merged tribal districts had been unfairly deducted.
Calling the suspension of gas supply an “illegal act”, Afridi urged all stakeholders not to support unconstitutional measures against the province.
Commenting on the security situation, the KP chief minister said peace could be restored within 100 days if “interference ended” and a coordinated strategy was developed with the provincial government.
Governor Kundi also questioned whether KP’s “fault” was producing gas and electricity for the country, saying the province continued to provide cheap energy and mineral resources to the federation.
“If we receive our water share, we will not have to purchase wheat,” the governor said while urging authorities to address the province’s concerns.
Kundi noted that KP was already fighting terrorism and “carrying the coffins of police and army personnel”, warning that depriving the province of its rights would amount to injustice.
“First, sacrifices were sought from the public on petrol and electricity, and now they are being tested through CNG,” he remarked.
The governor said the provincial leadership remained in contact with the federal government and had repeatedly conveyed that such treatment towards KP must end.
He also appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to resolve the province’s issues with the same urgency shown in other matters.
Separately, CM Afridi wrote a letter to the prime minister, demanding immediate action to resolve the gas crisis in the province.
In the letter, the chief minister stated that KP produces around 494mmcfd of gas while its own consumption stands at only 120mmcfd.
He said the province’s CNG sector requires between 36mmcfd and 40mmcfd of gas, but the supply had been diverted to the fertiliser sector.
Afridi warned that the suspension of gas to the CNG sector could trigger unrest and law and order issues in the province.
He added that the transport sector heavily depends on CNG and the use of expensive fuels would place an additional financial burden on the public.
The chief minister urged PM Shehbaz to immediately restore gas supply to the CNG sector and convene a meeting of the Council of Common Interests to address the matter.
Responding to the KP chief minister’s criticism, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claimed there was “no such thing as governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”.
In a post on X, Tarar alleged that corruption and misconduct were at their peak in the province, accusing the provincial government of spending public money on politics and lavish expenditures.
Referring to the recent expansion of the provincial cabinet, he said there appeared to be no criteria for appointing new ministers and advisers “other than incompetence”.
The information minister also questioned whether increasing the size of the cabinet after more than a decade in power could improve governance outcomes in the province.