KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: screenshot
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has firmly clarified the provincial government’s stance on emerging fuel supply challenges, saying his administration would not support any measure that would directly impose additional financial strain on the public.
The statement was made during a high-level meeting with federal finance and petroleum ministers, where officials briefed the chief minister on potential disruptions in oil supplies resulting from escalating tensions in the Middle East involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Discussions focused on possible constraints in global supply chains and their knock-on effects on domestic fuel prices, amid recent sharp increases in international oil costs.
Chief Minister Afridi emphasized that governments have a primary duty to protect citizens during crises rather than passing the consequences directly to them. He criticized the practice of maintaining lavish and non-essential public spending while forcing ordinary citizens to absorb the consequences through rising oil prices, calling it bad governance.
“Tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel should not be used as an excuse to put additional economic pressure on citizens through rising fuel prices,” Afridi said. He urged all levels of government to exercise strict budgetary discipline and prudent management of resources.
