ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Thursday hinted at the province’s potential non-cooperation with the federal government regarding the upcoming IMF programme.
His remarks came after he and other senior PTI leaders were denied a meeting with incarcerated party founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, despite fulfilling court-mandated formalities.
Speaking to journalists outside the prison, Gandapur lashed out at the federal government, asserting that the province would make decisions based on its own interests and situation. He added, “The Centre should not lecture us on national interests as PTI is not solely bearing the responsibility for the country’s issues.”
Gandapur’s frustration stemmed from the rejection of the PTI leadership’s request to meet Khan, despite complying with all procedural requirements. He criticized the denial, blaming security reasons for the obstruction and vowing that, although delayed, they would meet Khan in the future.
In his statement, Gandapur also accused the federal government of using legal and forceful tactics to target PTI leadership, including filing fake FIRs and arresting party members. He referred to these actions as unconstitutional and warned that KP’s response to the upcoming IMF programme would be in kind, signifying non-cooperation with the Centre on financial matters.
He further clarified the controversy surrounding the recent passing of KP’s budget, asserting that the decision to pass the fiscal year 2025-26 budget was necessary to avoid a constitutional crisis. The budget includes a Rs157 billion surplus, which, according to sources, has raised concerns from Imran Khan, who expressed discontent over the inclusion of the surplus in line with IMF conditions.
Adviser to the CM on Information Muhammad Ali Saif confirmed that Khan was not opposed to the budget itself, but rather to the way surplus funds were being allocated. Khan reportedly stressed the need for a greater focus on education, health, and environmental sectors in the budget allocations.
