Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. SCREENSHOT
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has described the proposed 27th constitutional amendment as an attempt to trample the Constitution.
According to the KP CM, a government allegedly formed on the basis of rigged elections cannot be allowed to tamper with a unanimous national document.
“The current government in power has only 17 [genuinely acquired] seats [in the National Assembly] in total, they have no public mandate or authority to amend the Constitution,” Afridi, who belongs to the PTI, said on Sunday. The CM was responding to a reporter during his visit to a station of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service in Peshawar.
The PML-N-led federal government has tabled the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Senate, proposing a series of changes to the Constitutions, including one related to the formation of the Federal Constitutional Court.
The alliance of the country’s main opposition parties – the TTAP, which includes the PTI – rejected the proposed amendments, warning that the proposed changes to the Constitution would shake the very foundations of the country.
Echoing the opposition, CM Afridi said the ruling coalition now wants to “trample on the Constitution”. The PTI and some other political parties claim that the February 2024 general elections were massively rigged in order to prevent Imran’s party from forming a government.
Replying to another question, he announced that on November 12, the KP government would convene a grand jirga to chart a way forward for eradication of terrorism and lasting peace.
“Legislators, former parliamentarians and MPs as well as leaders of political parties will be invited to participate so that a permanent solution for peace and stability can be found,” he said.
Afridi also announced the extension of BRT service to Jamrud Tedi Bazaar and Bara Bazaar in Khyber district. He said the BRT service in Peshawar is a gift from his leader, PTI founder Imran Khan, to the people of KP.
“BRT provides affordable and quality transportation service to the poor and middle class,” he said. The CM revealed that to reduce passenger congestion in BRT buses, his government has purchased 50 new buses and it will soon acquire 50 more.
Additionally, the service will be extended to more areas so that more people can benefit from it. During the visit, the CM interacted with the citizens and asked their views on the service.
Accompanied by elected legislators and the chief secretary, he traveled by BRT from Peshawar University station to Karkhano station, engaging in conversation with passengers along the way.
