KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: Screengrab
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has made clear the provincial government’s stance on the new fuel supply challenges, declaring that his administration will not support any move that directly imposes additional financial pressure on the public.
The statement came during a high-level meeting of the federal finance and petroleum ministers, where officials briefed the chief minister on potential disruptions to oil supplies stemming from escalating tensions in the Middle East involving Iran, the US and Israel. Discussions focused on possible constraints in global supply chains and their knock-on effects on domestic fuel prices, amid recent sharp increases in international oil costs.
Chief Minister Afridi emphasized that governments have a core duty to shield citizens during crises rather than transferring the fallout directly to them. He criticized the practice of maintaining lavish and non-essential government spending while forcing ordinary people to absorb the consequences through higher oil prices, describing it as bad governance.
“Tensions between Iran, the US and Israel must not serve as an excuse to put additional economic pressure on citizens via fuel price increases,” Afridi said. He urged all levels of government to exercise strict fiscal discipline and prudent resource management.
