Governor concerned over governance in KP

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday accused the provincial government of being unwilling to give up power at any cost, claiming that the current dispensation was merely bluffing about dissolving the provincial assembly.

Speaking to a delegation of journalists from Dera Ismail Khan, led by Muhammad Irfan Mughal and Saeedullah Marwat, he said that the KP government was desperate to pass the budget, even if it means using indirect means.

He added that despite the chief minister’s threats, meeting Imran Khan is not an option for the government, and it would find excuses to ensure the budget gets approved.The governor warned that the possibility of an emergency in the province could not be ruled out, and predicted that Gandapur would resort to any tactic necessary to remain in power.

During the meeting, which included journalists Muhammad Rehan, Naveed Sultan, M. Salahuddin, Ahmad Mughal, Abdullah Jan, Hammad, Nusrat, Adil Waqar and others, issues and public grievances were discussed.The governor expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the province and criticized the provincial government’s lack of interest.

He said that the survey for the Dera Ismail Khan International Airport was in progress, and the Lift Canal Project had entered the re-tendering phase under Wapda, with phased planning underway.On the issue of load-shedding, the governor said the power outages in Dera Ismail Khan were unbearable.

He rejected Wapda’s justification for low recoveries and pressure from Islamabad, saying that the public should be given control over feeders and that loadshedding should be proportional to recovery rates.

Highlighting the injustice stemming from the 1991 water agreement, he said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had not received its due water share and urged the federal government to grant the province its rightful share. He demanded that the provincial government should take control of local electricity distribution companies.

The governor revealed that 14,000 out of 24,000 Wapda posts in the province remained vacant, exacerbating the electricity crisis.He criticized the excessive loadshedding and low voltage, calling it a form of cruelty, especially amid the ongoing heatwave in the region.

The governor announced plans to hold another meeting with Wapda officials in the coming days to resolve the crisis and suggested that power management would improve significantly if the province were given control over electricity.Kundi also alleged that Wapda staff were complicit in electricity theft.