- CM calls denial of PTI founder’s access to family, lawyers “illegal”.
- CM Afridi says pen-down strike will be observed across province.
- Say emergency services will be exempt from pen-down strike.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday announced a province-wide pen-down strike for May 6 (tomorrow) over the federal government’s alleged “discrimination” against the province.
In a statement, the PTI-backed chief minister said that his province faces deliberate discrimination in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and in the electricity and gas sectors.
The chief minister said that emergency services would be exempt from the pen-down strike. CM Afridi reiterated that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife are not being allowed treatment under the supervision of their personal physicians.
Denying the PTI founder — who has been behind bars since August 2023 in multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism after his ouster via an opposition no-trust vote in April 2022 — access to family and lawyers is “inhumane and illegal,” the chief minister added.
It is pertinent to mention here that the KP CM has repeatedly accused the Centre of discriminatory behaviour towards his province.
On January 10, the KP CM had strongly criticised the federal government’s policies, alleging discrimination against the KP, theft of public mandate and political victimisation of the PTI.
Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, CM Afridi had said that KP had not been given its full share under the NFC Award, including the due share for the merged tribal districts, resulting in a loss of nearly Rs300 billion for the province.
Referring to the tribal districts, he had said promises made to the erstwhile tribal areas (Fata), including Rs100 billion annually for 10 years, were not fulfilled, as only Rs130 billion had been released in three years.
