KP chief minister slams prison conditions, pushes for financial rights, approves scholarships
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. SCREENSHOT
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi, addressing the 42nd meeting of the provincial cabinet, strongly condemned the “unjust imprisonment and continued isolation” of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.
He criticized the lack of basic necessities in prison during the harsh winter and called the use of water cannons on Imran Khan’s sisters “deeply shameful”, saying the provincial government “strongly condemns this unjust and inhumane treatment”.
During the session, Chief Minister Afridi informed the cabinet about the formation of a sub-committee in the National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting to safeguard the financial rights of the province. The committee, led by the provincial finance advisor, will present recommendations to the forum.
He stressed that all political and legal avenues would be explored to secure the funds owed to the province. He notably pointed out that the merged districts were promised Rs 100 billion per year for development, but only Rs 168 billion was provided over seven years, leaving Rs 532 billion unpaid.
Addressing the newly appointed secretaries, the chief minister highlighted merit-based appointments, transparency and zero tolerance for corruption. He asked all departments to submit proposals for the Annual Development Program (ADP) 2026-27 by mid-February, with priority given to public welfare projects.
The cabinet approved the e-transfer policy 2025 for teachers of the Department of Primary and Secondary Education. Afridi said the policy, inspired by the vision of PTI founder Imran Khan, aims to ensure transparency and merit in teaching posts while allowing educators to focus on teaching.
The policy incorporates factors such as seniority, student/teacher ratio, annual performance and special circumstances such as disability, widowhood or transfer of spouse. Despite a previous transfer ban, more than 400 recommendations were received, none of which were taken into account.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations, Shafi Jan, said the cabinet also approved over Rs 2 billion to complete the Good Governance Roadmap interventions in E&S education, including infrastructure upgradation, education internship program and innovative sector interventions. A one-time grant of Rs 300 million has been provided to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Education Endowment Fund to provide scholarships across the province, including merged districts.
Other key decisions included Rs2.1 million for an Umrah program for the family of late organ donor Jawad Khan, funding for the Ehsaas Rozgar program to support over 8,000 vulnerable people, and financial allocations for health infrastructure, including Rs2.13 billion for the Khyber Institute of Child Health and Children’s Hospital, Rs454 million for the Jamrud Institute of Health Sciences and 1.57 billion rupees for Lady Reading Hospital.
