ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed governance, security and financial issues of the province. He said no political matters were discussed during the meeting.
The meeting, which lasted for more than an hour, was the first meeting between the two leaders since Afridi became chief minister on October 13 last year.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam and KP government’s Finance Adviser Muzzammil Aslam were also present.
Talking to journalists after the meeting, Afridi said that Rs2,600 billion allocated for the merged tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has remained blocked for a long time. He said the issue was raised directly with the prime minister, who issued directions for the release of the funds.
On the security situation, the chief minister said terrorism is not limited to any single province or country and should be tackled as a national issue. He announced that a follow-up meeting will be held after Eid to discuss terrorism and security matters in detail.
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Responding to questions, Afridi said the provincial government is openly presenting its stance on governance and counterterrorism issues.
He rejected reports of any political discussions and clarified that no meeting with jailed PTI founder Imran Khan was discussed. He also said there was no talk about any meeting between Imran Khan and his sisters.
Commenting on the country’s financial condition, Afridi said the IMF report on Rs5,300 billion was like a “charge sheet” that highlighted serious financial and governance weaknesses.
Referring to the situation in tribal areas, he said people of Tirah, Kurram and Bajaur are making great sacrifices. He added that an allocation of Rs4 billion is very small for areas that have suffered heavy losses.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need for strong coordination between the federal and provincial governments for public welfare and development.
The prime minister said cooperation between the two governments was essential to maintain law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He added that provincial institutions must be strengthened to deal with terrorism, and both governments will continue joint efforts to eliminate militancy.
He said the KP government must fulfill its constitutional responsibility to ensure peace, law and order, and public welfare in the province.
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On development, the prime minister said the provincial government has full authority to take steps in education, health and social welfare. He added that the federal government has always worked to improve the lives of KP residents.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is an important part of the federation and assured full federal support for the province’s development and public well-being.
The statement said close coordination and effective communication between the federal and provincial governments are necessary. The prime minister assured cooperation in development projects, infrastructure, employment, health and education within the federal framework.
Separately, Amir Muqam said serving the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the government’s top priority. He said regular meetings between the federal and provincial governments are important.
Muqam said the prime minister thanked Chief Minister Afridi for visiting Islamabad and appreciated his cooperation on national issues.
He added that both leaders agreed the country and its institutions must move forward together. He said the prime minister also stressed the need for national unity and joint efforts to fight terrorism.
