KP CM Afridi Calls for Governor Impeachment Law, Rejects Further Operations

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has called for legislation allowing the provincial assembly to impeach the governor, accusing Governor Faisal Karim Kundi of violating constitutional limits after he held a security meeting with the chief secretary and provincial police chief. Afridi also reiterated his opposition to further military operations against militants in the province.

Call for a constitutional mechanism

Addressing a provincial cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Afridi said the KP Assembly should introduce legislation if no existing law provided a mechanism for removing a governor who, in his view, violated the Constitution. He argued that elected governments could be removed through constitutional procedures such as a vote of no confidence and maintained that similar safeguards should apply where a governor was accused of overstepping his authority.

Afridi's remarks followed a meeting chaired by Governor Kundi with KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah and Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed to discuss the province's security situation. The chief minister described the meeting as unconstitutional and directed the chief secretary and police chief not to comply with any order they considered illegal or unconstitutional.

KP Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel told the cabinet that Article 131 of the Constitution allows the governor to seek information from the chief minister but does not permit the governor to independently exercise such authority, according to the account presented at the meeting.

Afridi also ordered the provincial police chief to investigate alleged firing on PTI workers in Upper South Waziristan. He instructed the chief secretary to ensure that the provincial administration did not become involved in any activity that could violate constitutional or legal provisions.

Federal-provincial tensions

The dispute comes as tensions between the provincial and federal authorities continue to grow over the security situation in KP. Governor Kundi, meanwhile, said an emergency or governor's rule could be imposed in the province if Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari determined that such a step was necessary to address the deteriorating law-and-order situation.

Speaking to Geo News, Kundi referred to previous instances in which emergency measures had been introduced over security concerns and said the immediate question was whether and when such a measure would be considered.

Afridi rejects further military operations

Afridi renewed his opposition to the federal government's counterterrorism strategy, arguing that repeated military operations had failed to produce lasting peace in KP and had imposed significant social and financial costs on local communities.

The chief minister said his administration had focused on strengthening the provincial police, Counter-Terrorism Department and Special Branch since taking office. He accused successive federal governments of relying on military operations in the province since 2004 and claimed that large amounts of compensation promised to displaced families remained unpaid.

According to Afridi, nearly Rs100 billion in compensation is still outstanding. He said displaced families from the tribal districts had been promised financial assistance that had not been fully delivered and referred to monthly support promised for displaced residents of North Waziristan staying at the Baka Khel camp.

Afridi said KP could restore peace within 100 days if a different counterterrorism strategy were adopted. He argued that the existing federal approach had failed to establish lasting stability in both KP and Balochistan and called for greater consideration of the provincial government's position before any decision was taken regarding military operations.

March continues toward Peshawar

The chief minister later joined supporters of the PTI march in Bara, where workers from Bara, Jamrud and Landi Kotal gathered to receive him as he travelled toward Peshawar. Addressing the participants, Afridi repeated his opposition to further military operations and said his government would continue to raise what it considers the constitutional and political rights of KP.

He said the next strategy for the ongoing march would be announced after reaching Swabi, while participants were expected to spend the night in Bara before proceeding toward Peshawar.

The KP cabinet also approved forwarding to the federal government a provincial assembly resolution condemning an alleged incident involving the chief minister during a visit to Punjab. It approved seeking $250 million in World Bank financing for the READY-KP project under the applicable financing arrangements.