Barrister Saif takes jibe at Governor over APC, lauds Gandapur’s actions for Kurram peace

• KP’s advisor calls APC held at Governor a meeting of province’s ‘rejected group’

PESHAWAR: Advisor to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Information Barrister Dr Saif on Thursday criticized Governor Faisal Karim Kundi for holding an All-Parties Conference (APC) at the Governor House in Peshawar, emphasizing he (governor) must not violate his constitutional limits.

“Governor Kundi should not behave like the chief executive of the province as constitution does not mandate him to indulge any such activity”, Barrister Said stated in a statement on Thursday.

Reacting to the APC, which brought together various political groups, Dr Saif called it a meeting of the province’s “rejected group” and labeled it a failed attempt to score political points and undermine the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The advisor stressed that it was not the governor’s role to organize such a meeting, as the responsibility lay with the elected provincial government.

“The APC is not the mandate of the governor but of the elected government,” Dr Saif emphasized. He further suggested that instead of hosting the APC, the governor should focus on addressing issues related to arrears from the central government, in his capacity as a representative of the federation.

“The governor should not act as if he were the chief executive of the province,” he added, highlighting that the province’s chief executive, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, was effectively handling his responsibilities.

In response to the situation in Kurram, Barrister Saif praised Chief Minister Gandapur’s timely actions. He said the CM had been overseeing the situation in the region, ensuring that normal life was being restored following recent disturbances. Dr. Saif pointed out that, under Gandapur’s direction, a government jirga had facilitated a ceasefire and the return of dead bodies. Additionally, the Chief Minister had arranged for the delivery of life-saving medicines via helicopter to the area.

The KP’s advisor also highlighted the approval by Chief Minister Gandapur to recruit 400 police personnel for Kurram and the allocation of funds to dismantle the frontlines of the warring factions. These actions, he noted, were in line with the recommendations of the Murree Agreement of 2008. The Information Advisor reiterated that the provincial government, under Chief Minister Gandapur, was taking comprehensive steps to address the situation in Kurram and other matters concerning the region.