‘We don’t want wheat from federation, we want our share of water’: KP governor

PESHAWAR:

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said on Tuesday that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is not seeking wheat from the federation but instead is demanding its due share of water, stressing that constitutional rights must be upheld. He added that if the province contributes electricity, gas and minerals to the country, it must also receive its fair share under the constitution.

Speaking at the convocation at Abaseen University in Peshawar, the governor said efforts had been made to ensure that the federal government listens to the concerns of the province and said the federal government has formed a three-member committee on the issue of CNG station closures in the province.

Kundi, who welcomed the move, thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said a meeting would be held with it, including representatives of the provincial government. The Governor stated that Ali Pervez, Rana Sanaullah and Rana Tanveer had been included in the committee.

KP has been grappling with a CNG shortage since April as several filling stations remain closed, forcing millions of residents to struggle with access to affordable fuel. The situation has also disrupted economic activity throughout the province.

Governor Kundi added that a meeting of the committee will be held soon, in which representatives of the provincial government and the opposition will also attend. He said wheat transportation is being restricted while smuggling has forced people to buy expensive wheat in the market. “We don’t want wheat from the federation; we want our share of water,” he asserted, adding that if the province got its share of water, “then we will supply wheat to Punjab.”

A day earlier, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi criticized the Punjab government, saying it committed “atrocities” against KP by restricting the supply of wheat. “Article 151 of the constitution does not allow any ban on inter-provincial movement of food,” he said, adding that the people of KP were forced to buy the most expensive flour in the country.

“Punjab has harmed national unity by stopping flour supplies,” Afridi had said, warning that the federal government’s failed policies were being blamed on the KP government.

Also on Monday, Afridi wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz demanding immediate intervention over the federal government’s decision to cut gas supply to the CNG sector in the province. In the letter, he said the CNG sector’s demand for “about 36-40 MMCFD gas” had been “diverted to the fertilizer sector”, a move he warned had “set the stage for widespread agitation and poses a serious threat to the law and order situation in the province.”

Separately, in a post on X, the governor expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz for forming a committee on the “critical issue of CNG shutdown in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.” He added that KP produces “almost 508 MMCFD of natural gas against a requirement of around 130 MMCFD”, yet people continue to experience difficulties.

Referring to constitutional provisions, he said that “According to Article 158 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the province which produces natural gas has the first right and precedence over its use.”

Kundi emphasized that “the constitutional rights of the KP must be upheld.” He also thanked the KP government and all political parties for supporting the issue. “In matters concerning the rights of KP and the welfare of our people, we must rise above political differences and speak with one voice,” he said.

In December, the Punjab government imposed what the KP provincial government has called unconstitutional and illegal restrictions on inter-provincial transport of wheat and flour.

Pakistan Flour Mills Association KP Chairman Muhammad Naeem Butt said in January that the curbs have forced about 80 percent of flour mills in KP to shut down, while only 20 percent operate by buying expensive smuggled wheat from Punjab.

CNG shortage

Severe hardship has gripped students, parents and daily commuters in Peshawar and across KP following the closure of CNG stations due to acute shortage of natural gas. Most school bus and bus operators in the province suspended their services because CNG is not available, while public transporters that have switched to petrol have hiked fares sharply, adding to the financial burden on citizens.

In several areas, unannounced load shedding of natural gas has further aggravated the problems for private and commercial consumers. The closure of CNG stations in April forced many vehicles to either stop driving or run on more expensive petrol, resulting in a new increase in transport prices. School transporters are among the hardest hit. Owners of Suzuki vans and buses say vehicles running on petrol are beyond their financial means, leaving them with no option but to park their fleets.

Kundi on Sunday called on the federal government to immediately address the province’s growing problems, warning that growing public frustration over shortages and government failures could eventually push people onto the streets. He called on the federal government to urgently address key issues facing the province, particularly the suspension of CNG supply and restrictions on wheat movements.

Since assuming office as KP Chief Minister in October last year, Afridi has repeatedly accused the federal government of discriminating against the province. On 6 May, Afridi announced a province-wide pen-down strike, ordering government employees to stop routine administrative work in protest against what the provincial government termed the centre’s “discriminatory treatment” in economic and constitutional matters.

Two PTIs

During the media briefing, Kundi turned his attention to the current provincial government in KP. He said there should be two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafs, one appointed to Adiala jail and one to head the government. “If you sit in Adiala four days a week, then it becomes ‘work from Adiala’,” he added. He further said that the provincial government should have implemented the Peshawar High Court orders regarding CNG stations.

The governor added that action should have been taken against the administration that closed the CNG stations and the chief minister should have ensured accountability.

Kundi on Sunday echoed these sentiments and advised Afridi to focus on provincial issues and governance rather than the Adiala jail, saying provincial affairs should take precedence over political protests.

The PTI holds protests every Tuesday and Thursday against the imprisonment of its founding chairman and the alleged hardships he faces in custody. CM Afridi, like other PTI leaders, has remained actively involved in these demonstrations.