‘We don’t want wheat from federation, want our share of water’: K-P governor

PESHAWAR:

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said on Tuesday that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa does not seek wheat from the federation but instead demands its due share of water, stressing that constitutional rights must be upheld. He added that if the province is contributing electricity, gas, and minerals to the country, it must also receive its fair share under the Constitution.

Speaking at the convocation of Abaseen University in Peshawar, the governor said efforts had been made to ensure that the federal government listens to provincial concerns and said the federal government has formed a three-member committee on the issue of CNG station closures in the province.

Kundi, welcoming the move, thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said a meeting would be held with it, including representatives of the provincial government. The governor stated that Ali Pervez, Rana Sanaullah, and Rana Tanveer had been included in the committee.

K-P has been grappling with a CNG shortage since April, as several filling stations remain closed, forcing millions of residents to struggle with access to affordable fuel. The situation has also disrupted economic activity across the province.

Governor Kundi added that a meeting with the committee will be held soon, where representatives of the provincial government and opposition will also participate. He said wheat transportation is being restricted, while smuggling has forced people to purchase expensive wheat in the market. “We don’t want wheat from the federation; we want our share of water,” he asserted, adding that if the province got its share of water, “then we will supply wheat to Punjab.”

A day earlier, K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi criticised the Punjab government, saying it was committing “atrocities” against K-P by restricting wheat supplies. “Article 151 of the Constitution does not allow any ban on the inter-provincial movement of food items,” he said, adding that the people of K-P were forced to buy the most expensive flour in the country.

“Punjab has damaged national unity by stopping flour supplies,” Afridi had said, warning that the federal government’s failed policies were being blamed on the K-P government. 

Also on Monday, Afridi wrote a letter to PM Shehbaz, demanding immediate intervention over the federal government’s decision to cut gas supply to the CNG sector in the province. In the letter, he said the CNG sector’s requirement of “approximately 36–40 MMCFD Gas” had been “diverted to the fertilisers sector,” a move he warned had “set the stage for widespread agitation and is posing a serious threat to law-and-order situation in the province.”

Separately, in a post on X, the governor extended his gratitude to PM Shehbaz for constituting a committee on the “critical issue of CNG closure in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.” He added that K-P produces “nearly 508 MMCFD of natural gas against a requirement of around 130 MMCFD,” yet people continue to face difficulties.

Referring to constitutional provisions, he said that “Under Article 158 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the province producing natural gas has the first right and precedence over its usage.”

Kundi stressed that “the constitutional rights of the people of K-P must be upheld.” He also thanked the K-P government and all political parties for supporting the issue. “On matters concerning the rights of K-P and the welfare of our people, we must rise above political differences and speak with one voice,” he said.

In December, the Punjab government imposed what the K-P provincial government has termed unconstitutional and illegal restrictions on inter-provincial transportation of wheat and flour.

Pakistan Flour Mills Association K-P Chairman Muhammad Naeem Butt said in January that the curbs have forced around 80 per cent of flour mills in K-P to shut down, while only 20 per cent are operating by purchasing expensive smuggled wheat from Punjab.

CNG shortage

Severe difficulties have gripped students, parents and daily commuters in Peshawar and across K-P after the closure of CNG stations due to acute natural gas shortage. Most school van and bus operators in the province suspended their services because CNG is unavailable, while public transporters who have switched to petrol have sharply increased fares, adding to the financial burden on citizens.

In several areas, unannounced load-shedding of natural gas has further compounded the problems for domestic and commercial consumers. The closure of CNG stations in April forced many vehicles to either stop operating or run on costlier petrol, resulting in a fresh hike in transport fares. School transporters are among the worst affected. Owners of Suzuki vans and buses say running vehicles on petrol is beyond their financial capacity, leaving them with no option but to park their fleets.

Kundi on Sunday urged the federal government to take immediate notice of the province’s mounting problems, warning that growing public frustration over shortages and governance failures could eventually push people onto the streets. He called on the federal government to urgently address key issues confronting the province, particularly the suspension of CNG supply and restrictions on wheat movement.

Since assuming office as K-P chief minister last October, Afridi has repeatedly accused the federal government of discriminating against the province. On May 6, Afridi announced a province-wide pen-down strike, directing government employees to suspend routine administrative work in protest against what the provincial government terms the Centre’s “discriminatory treatment” in financial and constitutional matters.

Two PTIs

During the media briefing, Kundi turned his attention to the current provincial government in K-P. He said that there should be two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafs, one designated to Adiala Jail and one for running the government. “If you sit in Adiala four days a week, then it becomes ‘work from Adiala’,” he added. He further said the provincial government should have implemented the Peshawar High Court orders regarding CNG stations.

The governor added that action should have been taken against the administration that closed the CNG stations, and the chief minister should have ensured accountability.

Kundi on Sunday reiterated these sentiments, advising Afridi to focus on the province’s issues and governance rather than Adiala Jail, saying the province’s affairs should take precedence over political protests.

PTI stages protests every Tuesday and Thursday against the imprisonment of its founding chairman and the alleged difficulties he faces in custody. CM Afridi, like other PTI leaders, has remained actively involved in these demonstrations.