Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governor Karim Kundi said that the release of the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-E-insaf (PTI), Imran Khan in prison, seems to be improbable, adding that his sons should not return to Pakistan either.
Addressing main journalists in Peshawar on Saturday, Kundi rejected speculations on the involvement of the sons of Khan, Sulaiman and Kasim, in the next PTI protest campaign. “It is very unlikely to come back,” he said, reiterating that the prospects for the release of Imran Khan remain thin.
Earlier this month, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan said that the two sons would join the party’s anti-government protest movement, which should start in August. She also said that the former Prime Minister would lead the “prison interior” campaign.
The reports suggest that the sons of Khan have held meetings with key personalities in the United States before their possible visit to Pakistan.
However, Governor Kundi seemed to be disdainful of these developments, describing them as a political perspective rather than a reality.
On the broader political and administrative front, the governor underlined the need for a tribal jirga to solve unresolved problems in the old tribal areas administered by the federal government (FATA). He proposed that Jirga include former tribal, ex-parliamentary and political stakeholders in the region.
“The merger of the FATA with KP cannot be canceled without a constitutional amendment,” he said, urging the federal government to release the development funds that were promised at the time of the merger.
Regarding the security situation in the province, Kundi painted a dark painting. “The situation of the law and the order is disastrous. Extortion is collected openly – even in broad daylight – merchants, local leaders and ordinary citizens,” he said. “In Dera Ismail Khan, people avoid leaving their homes after ASR prayers due to fear.”
He also criticized what he called the Federal Government’s Punjab approach to national initiatives. “Programs such as the portable computers program, youth development projects and Daanish schools have excluded KP young people,” he said.
Commenting on the state of sports infrastructure, Kundi described the renovation of the Arbab Niaz stadium in Peshawar as of lower quality and said that the lack of quality sports facilities was one of the reasons why Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches were not detained in the province.
On PTI’s internal policy, the governor said that the party was facing a deep factionalism in KP. “They cannot even bring out 20 vehicles for their protest scheduled for August 5,” he concluded.
