- Sanaullah slams CM-elect over fiery maiden speech in assembly.
- PM’s aide says PTI should behave like “political party”.
- Says KP Assembly session should not have been convened.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Monday assailed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister-elect Sohail Afridi for his fiery maiden speech in the provincial assembly.
Speaking on Geo New’s programme “Capital Talk”, Sanaullah said that Afridi’s speech was not in accordance with the Constitution and the law.
The former security czar asked if the speech delivered by the chief minister-elect was appropriate for the forum.
“Sohail Afridi is saying that he will not work with the federal government,” Sanaullah said, quoting the CM-elect.
Although provinces enjoy autonomy after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, they cannot defy the federal government, said the PM’s aide.
The 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed in 2010, and among the changes it introduced was the devolution of many powers and responsibilities from the Centre to the provinces.
Referring to Afridi’s maiden speech in the KP Assembly, Sanaullah said: “If the chief minister-elect acts in line with what he said in his speech, I don’t think he can function under the Constitution and the law as head of a provincial government.”
Highlighting the former ruling party’s position on operations against terrorism, the PM’s aide said that PTI should behave like a political party if it seeks a democratic and political treatment from the state and the institutions.
Responding to another query, the PML-N leader said the KP Assembly session should not have been convened until the resignation of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was formally accepted.
CM-elect’s fiery speech
After reiterating his loyalty to incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, KP CM-elect Afridi slammed the federal government in his maiden speech, which stressed the need to review the country’s policy towards Afghanistan.
Speaking during a KP Assembly session, after being elected the new leader of the house following Gandapur’s resignation, Afridi called for tribal elders and representatives to be taken into confidence to solve the issue of terrorism.
Newly elected CM Afridi also addressed the issue of terrorism, as KP has faced the brunt of incidents along with Balochistan, and said that where there is terrorism, the solution is to take the elders of that area into confidence.
He insisted that the solution to terrorism lies in consultation with the masses and their representatives.
“Where you are saying there is terrorism, take the local representatives, parliamentarians, people and elders into confidence,” he said while calling for Pakistan’s Afghan policy to be reviewed.
Lamenting that “a mindset” mocked the tribal people when his name was nominated for the office of the CM, Afridi recalled his political career and journey.
“I did not become chief minister through a ‘parchi’ [chit]. I belong to a middle-class family from the tribal districts. Neither my father, nor my brother, nor my relatives are politicians,” Afridi said while thanking PTI founder Imran.
Noting that the tribal population was happy with the decision to nominate and elect him as KP’s CM, he said that a campaign was launched against him.
Announcing that he will start taking measures in this regard today, Afridi said: “I am a champion of confrontational politics”.
“I have no cars, no bungalow, no money, no greed for a chair [of CM]. The day the leader says no chair, I will kick it.”
The young politician further warned that if the PTI founder was moved from Adiala jail without consulting his family and the party, they would paralyse the whole country in protest.
“No one should think that I have come to this position and will deviate from [Imran’s] ideology,” he said.
Furthermore, reiterating the party’s stance on alleged rigging in the February 8, 2024, general elections, Afridi announced to initiate a probe into how their constituencies were stolen from them.
