Sohail Afridi Calls Governor’s Meetings Unconstitutional

PESHAWAR: (Staff Reporter) – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has strongly criticised Governor Faisal Karim Kundi for holding meetings with senior provincial officials, describing the move as unconstitutional.

Addressing a provincial cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Afridi said the provincial government, assembly and cabinet were fully functional and maintained that the governor had no constitutional authority to convene meetings or issue directives concerning matters under the provincial government’s jurisdiction.

“The governor is holding unconstitutional meetings,” Afridi said, adding that holding such meetings and issuing orders amounted to an attack on the Constitution.

The chief minister said his government would seek the Advocate General’s opinion on the constitutional status of the governor’s meetings.

Afridi also criticised the governor for summoning the chief secretary and inspector general of police, saying he would not tolerate what he described as unconstitutional actions.

He maintained that the province had an elected government with a two-thirds majority and that the provincial assembly and cabinet remained fully functional.

According to Afridi, the constitutional mechanism for removing a chief minister was a vote of no-confidence.

The KP chief minister also criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party, alleging that its current actions could lead to “another East Pakistan.”

Referring to the governor’s meeting held on Tuesday, Afridi described it as regrettable and condemnable, alleging that attempts were being made to undermine the country.

“This is a conspiracy to break Pakistan. We have repeatedly said that we stand with Pakistan and will not allow anyone to break it,” he said.

The remarks came a day after Governor Faisal Karim Kundi chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and developments related to the PTI’s planned long march.

The meeting was attended by KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, Additional Chief Secretary Home Ikramullah Khan, Additional IG Special Branch Muhammad Kashif Alam, Joint Director General Intelligence Bureau Arshad Ali Khan, Additional IG CTD, DIG Operations Shakir Hussain Dawar and other senior officials.