Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has said that the release of Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan of the prison seems unlikely, adding that his sons are also not expected to return to Pakistan.
Kundi, who approached senior journalists in Peshawar on Saturday, rejected speculation about the involvement of Khan’s sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, in PTI’s upcoming protest campaign. “It is very unlikely that they will return,” he said, repeating that the prospects of Imran Khan’s release remain slim.
Earlier this month, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan claimed that both sons would join the party’s anti-government protest movement, which is expected to begin in August. She had also stated that the former prime minister would lead the campaign “inside the prison”.
Reports suggest that Khan’s sons have held meetings with key figures in the United States prior to their possible visits to Pakistan.
However, Governor Kundi seemed dismissive of this development and described them as political optics rather than reality.
On the wider political and administrative front, the governor emphasized the need for a tribe -jirga to tackle unresolved questions in the previously federally administered tribal areas (FATA). He suggested that the Jirga include the oldest, ex-parliamentarians and political stakeholders from the region.
“The merger of FATA with KP cannot be undone without a constitutional change,” he said, calling on the federal government to release the development funds promised at the time of merger.
As he turned to the security situation in the province, Kundi painted a gloomy image. “The law and order situation is serious. Extortion is opened open – even in broad daylight – from traders, local leaders and ordinary citizens,” he said. “In Dera Ismail Khan, people avoid stepping out of their homes after ASR beans because of fear.”
He also criticized what he called the Federal Government’s Punjab-centric approach to national initiatives. “Schedules such as the Laptop program, youth development projects and Daanish schools have excluded KP’s youth,” he said.
Kundi, who commented on the State of Sports Infrastructure, described the renovation of Peshawar’s Arbab Niaz Stadium as Substandard and said the lack of high quality sports facilities was one of the reasons why Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches have not been held in the province.
On PTI’s internal policy, the governor claimed that the party was facing deep fractionism in KP. “They can’t even get 20 vehicles out to their planned protest on August 5,” he concluded.
