PTI govt spending public funds on political gatherings: Kundi

PESHAWAR: Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Saturday alleged that the provincial government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was spending the public funds on arranging political gatherings.

Talking to Geo News here, he launched a tirade against the provincial government, accusing it of widespread corruption, administrative failures, and misuse of public funds.

Kundi alleged that corruption was rampant across the province. “Even before I became governor, I used to say that there is deep-rooted corruption in this province,” he stated.

“The PTI ministers are calling each other thieves, yet NAB and FIA are doing nothing,” he added.

Highlighting alleged irregularities in appointments, Kundi alleged that government jobs were being sold. “Jobs are being traded in this province,” he said.

The governor criticized Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, accusing him of misusing taxpayers’ money. “The chief minister has spent public funds on rallies and political gatherings,” he said, further citing claims made by a former provincial finance minister who reportedly alleged that all funds were used for political events.

Referring to PTI’s internal discord, Kundi said: “PTI ministers are hurling accusations at one another. Ali Amin Gandapur himself admits that his former cabinet members were involved in corruption.”

Kundi also expressed disappointment over the silence of oversight bodies on the ongoing allegations, and criticized the chief minister for not engaging in dialogue with opposition parties. “The chief minister should stop being stubborn and start talking to other parties regarding important bills,” he said.

The governor voiced concerns over governance issues, claiming that KP cannot even open a 25-kilometre road in restive Kurram tribal district but was talking about marching towards Islamabad.

On legislative matters, he pointed out that the provincial government could not evolve consensus on the proposed Mines and Minerals Bill. “Whenever the chief minister is given a task in Islamabad, he complies like a well-behaved child,” he remarked.

Kundi questioned why the provincial leadership was focused on visiting Afghanistan for development discussions instead of exploring opportunities in China. “You talk about provincial development in Afghanistan, but why not China?” he asked.

He also criticized the federal government, particularly Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, for neglecting KP. “I regret that the prime minister has never taken the trouble to visit Peshawar,” Kundi said, inviting him once again to visit the province. “Is the prime minister waiting for a disaster to happen before he comes to Peshawar?”

The governor went on to allege that KP’s financial resources were being misused in other provinces. “Our province’s money is being wasted on luxuries in Lahore,” he said.

Calling for a fair and transparent approach, Kundi urged the prime minister to clarify whether the PTI has been given a contract to run KP. “The prime minister must explain if KP has been handed over to PTI as a franchise,” he said.