Lawmakers from various political parties on Thursday criticised the PTI for what they said was the party’s “rhetoric centred on violence and conflict”, as the party skipped a multi-party conference in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hosted by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.
Last month, Kundi announced the conference in December to discuss various issues faced by the province, including terrorism.
The KP governor has repeatedly highlighted the province’s longstanding issues, including law and order, equitable distribution of resources, and financial rights.
Various matters, such as the peace and security of the province, its resources, and the province’s issues with the Centre, will be discussed, Kundi had said while speaking to reporters.
PTI had also skipped an MPC on October 7 which vowed all-out support for Gaza and demanded an immediate ceasefire a year after the catastrophic Israeli invasion.
At Thursday’s conference, Governor Kundi said that KP is not a prerogative of a certain political party.
“We extended an invitation to PTI but perhaps they are unable to talk about peace,” he said. “PTI has always talked about violence and bullets.”
He went on to say that the province’s chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur had said on the floor of the provincial assembly that he would buy ammunition and bullets.
The governor then lamented the loss of life in Kurram, and that the provincial government has not shown seriousness on the issue. The death toll from recent violence in Kurram has reached 130 while 186 people are injured following a November 21 ambush on civilian passenger convoys going from Parachinar to Peshawar.
On November 27, warring sides agreed to extend a week-long tenuous ceasefire, ending on Nov 30, for another 10 days despite sporadic incidents of violence.
“The federal and provincial governments have failed on the issue of law and order,” Kundi said at the conference, adding that more than 70 law enforcement officials have been killed.
Kundi announced that a political committee and technical committee will be established following the conference.
He noted that the province’s minerals are the right of the people, adding that all routes will be opened for Pak-Afghan trade.
“Residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should not be harassed in Islamabad and other provinces,” Kundi said.
PTI snubs KP governor’s invite for Kurram moot
PTI announced its decision not to attend the conference on Wednesday, saying that the PPP —which Kundi belongs to— was working with the federal government to get PTI banned and even got a resolution about it passed by the Balochistan Assembly.
PTI insisted that, unlike the PPP, it had a mandate from residents to rule KP and was performing its duties well.
