PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur criticized the federal government and warned of a strong reaction if it does not provide a specific timeline for addressing the province’s key issues.
Speaking at the KP Assembly on Friday, CM Gandapur stated that the province had received funds from the Centre after Rs300 billion cut in this fiscal year's budget.
He mentioned that KP is required to hand over Rs96 billion surplus to the federal government under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions and promised that the province would meet this requirement by June 30.
However, he criticized other provinces for not adhering to these conditions and insisted that KP has a right to receive Rs50 billion in funds within two months.
Gandapur warned of a strong response if the federal government does not address core issues such as payment of dues, new taxes, promised funds for law and order, load shedding, and special funds for tribal areas. He claimed the Centre owes KP Rs1,510 billion in electricity payments and urged it to fulfill its promises.
Gandapur also blamed the federal government for the province's poor economic conditions, noting that KP residents owe Rs120 billion in unpaid electricity bills due to economic hardships.
The chief minister declared he would not allow electricity connections to be cut across the province and threatened to take control of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) offices if they failed to serve KP's residents. He vowed to take legal action against anyone attempting to deny the rights of KP citizens and gave the federal government a 15-day deadline to negotiate with the KP government.
CM Gandapur stated that no new taxes could be imposed on the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) without his approval, in line with the 18th Amendment. He also announced plans to improve the health insurance card scheme following criticism and introduced a resolution against illegal recruitment.
The chief minister promised to create employment opportunities through technical education programs and ensure the completion of development projects in the "Form 47" constituencies.
