Gandapur vows to approach court over reserved seats

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Saturday announced his decision to approach the court over the allocation of reserved seats, insisting that he was a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and not an independent candidate.

Speaking to reporters in Peshawar, Gandapur stated, “I did not declare myself an independent in my nomination papers. I clearly mentioned PTI as my party affiliation.” He emphasised that his move to seek judicial intervention was based on the documentation he submitted during the nomination process.

The chief minister reaffirmed the stability of the provincial government, saying, “The government is strong. No member is going anywhere. Those interested in tabling a no-confidence motion will be faced with reality.”

Regarding the upcoming Senate elections scheduled for July 21, Gandapur said the matter would be discussed thoroughly within the party. “Consultations will be held on the Senate elections,” he said.

The chief minister also addressed the controversy surrounding the passage of the provincial budget. “Had the budget not been passed, the government would have fallen – and the blame would have been on us,” he said. He added that propaganda about the failure to present the budget came from within their own ranks. “Only two members did not vote in favour of the budget. Everyone knows who they are and where they stand,” he added.

He said PTI’s patron-in-chief expressed satisfaction over the successful passage of the budget.

Commenting on the Swat flash floods deaths, Gandapur said the families of the victims were demanding government jobs. “I’ve made it clear that direct government employment in KP cannot be granted on the basis of a Punjab domicile,” he said. However, he announced a compensation package of Rs20 lakh per person, totaling Rs20 million for the affected family. “They will receive advice on how best to use the compensation amount for business purposes,” he added.

Touching on regional trade, the chief minister stressed the importance of resuming commercial activities with Afghanistan. “We must start trade with Afghanistan,” he said, taking a veiled dig at critics: “Some are busy securing foreign nationalities for themselves while objecting to trade with Afghans.”