Peshawar   -   Senior PTI leader and former Speaker of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser, called on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur here on Monday at Chief Minister House to discuss pressing provincial issues.

The meeting was also attended by Member National Assembly Faisal Amin Gandapur and former Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister Khalid Khurshid. The leaders held a detailed discussion on the ongoing illegal load-shedding of electricity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They resolved to raise the issue prominently in both the National Assembly and the Senate. It was emphasised that if the relief schedule agreed upon with the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not implemented, all necessary measures will be taken to address the situation.

The participants of the meeting expressed concerns about the federal government for not providing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with its legitimate and constitutional rights, including arrears from hydropower.

They vowed to raise an effective voice at the national level against these injustices. The meeting also discussed the issue of wheat purchase from Punjab farmers. The leaders expressed regret that the Punjab government has imposed mandatory permits, thereby exploiting the farmers in Punjab.

The Punjab government’s actions were strongly criticised as they hinder the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s efforts to buy wheat on a first-come, first-served basis at fair rates. This behaviour was deemed anti-farmer and a violation of Article 151 of the Constitution, which prohibits restriction of inter-provincial trade. Furthermore, the meeting discussed implementation of proposed taxes in the erstwhile FATA and PATA regions.

It was unanimously agreed that no tax should be imposed in these areas without consent of the provincial government and taking the local populace into confidence.

The leaders warned that any such unilateral move could lead to serious law and order issues.

Meanwhile, an important meeting regarding the Kohat Division Development Programme also held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister here at Chief Minister House.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister made a significant decision to increase the allocation of development fund for Kohat division from 10% to 15% in the form of oil and gas royalty. He directed the concerned authorities to submit the proposal to the provincial cabinet for final approval.

The meeting was attended by KP Agriculture Minister Major (Retd) Sajjad Barikwal, Additional Chief Secretary Imtiaz Hussain Shah, relevant administrative secretaries, Commissioner Kohat division, and DCs from the respective districts.

The Chief Minister was briefed on various development projects under the Kohat Division Development Programme. The CM instructed that the annual working plan for development activities in three districts of Kohat division be prepared promptly. Emphasising the importance of effective fund utilisation, he mandated that allocated funds for oil and gas royalty-producing districts must be spent within those districts.

Furthermore, the Chief Minister directed activation of relevant committees to ensure successful implementation of the Kohat Division Development Programme. He directed to give special attention to imparting technical skills to the local youth, and to develop a mechanism to accurately determine the quantity of oil and gas extracted from the Kohat Division.