KP CM Afridi seeks law to impeach Governor Kundi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has called for legislation that would allow the provincial governor to be impeached, accusing Governor Faisal Karim Kundi of “violating the Constitution” by holding a meeting with the province’s top officials.

“A prime minister and the chief minister can be sent home through a vote of no confidence. If there is no law, the KP Assembly will legislate [for impeachment of the governor] and nobody will be allowed to derail democracy,” Afridi said on Wednesday, Dawn reported.

The meeting that sparked the row

The dispute follows a meeting on the province’s security situation that Kundi chaired a day earlier with Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah and provincial police chief Zulfiqar Hameed.

Chairing a cabinet meeting, Afridi called that step unconstitutional and a “drama”, and told both officials not to follow any unconstitutional or illegal order from anyone. KP Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel told the cabinet that under Article 131 of the Constitution, the governor could seek information from the chief minister but could not do so on his own.

Afridi said the provincial assembly, cabinet and government were fully functional, and that such a meeting was unacceptable when his government held a two-thirds majority. He also directed the police chief to investigate firing on PTI workers in Upper South Waziristan.

Kundi: governor’s rule ‘definitely’ if needed

Speaking to Geo News later on Wednesday, Kundi said an emergency or governor’s rule would “definitely” be imposed in the province if the prime minister and the president considered it necessary “to save” it, given the security situation. He pointed to precedent, saying the PPP had once ended its own government in Balochistan and imposed an emergency for law and order.

Opposition to military operations

Afridi again rejected the federal government’s counterterrorism approach and said his government would not allow further military operations in the province. He claimed that peace could be restored within 100 days if the approach backed by provincial stakeholders was adopted.

He also said nearly Rs100 billion in compensation for families displaced by past operations was still outstanding. The federal government’s position, set out by adviser Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday, is that ongoing intelligence-based operations continue under the existing counterterrorism policy and that no one will be displaced.

March reaches Bara

Later on Wednesday, the PTI’s long march reached Shalobar in Bara tehsil of Khyber district, Afridi’s hometown, on its fourth day, The Express Tribune reported. Local elders, tribal leaders and young people welcomed the chief minister.

Addressing supporters, Afridi said the PTI would continue its political struggle for the release of party founder Imran Khan, but that Pakistan’s security, unity and stability were the shared responsibility of every citizen. He called for the supremacy of the Constitution, an independent judiciary, press freedom and protection for political workers’ rights.

He said the march’s future strategy would be announced on reaching Swabi. Marchers were to stay overnight in Bara before setting off for Peshawar on Thursday.

Other cabinet decisions

The provincial cabinet also approved:

• sending the federal government a KP Assembly resolution condemning an incident in which Afridi was allegedly taken away by Punjab Police in a vehicle, separated from his security and left on the roadside during a visit to Punjab
• seeking $250 million in World Bank financing for the READY-KP project

This article draws on reporting by Dawn and The Express Tribune.