A groundbreaking change in the mood of the KP’s Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has stirred many to think about what is behind this change.
Gandapur attended the SIFC’s meeting in which initially he was not invited. He held a joint press talk with the federal interior and energy ministers but proved positive. This positivity is important in the political spectrum of the country, but has raised some questions.
These questions arise: Is Gandapur’s change in attitude indicative of a deal between the military establishment and the PTI? Could it be the result of a give-and-take policy between the KP and Islamabad? Will this trend continue in the future? Has the PTI realized that its current approach may not yield the desired results? Gandapur’s positive attitude has led to these questions among the public.
These doubts would not have arisen if the PTI had been providing constructive and healthy opposition. Such questions emerge during times of political instability, where nothing is agreed upon without some form of deal. Mr. Gandapur previously threatened to attack and capture the federal capital and in his firebrand speech on the floor of the KP assembly, he issued a 15-day warning to the federal government or face otherwise if his demands were not met in the given timeline. He demanded his concerns about load-shedding in KP be addressed and that the federal government issue money it owed to the province of KP.
He said if his demands were not met then he would tell to who the KP belongs and in whose control is a button. Last time he attended SIFC’s meeting and talked with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. He was happy but proved entirely different after meeting with Mr. Khan. Mr. Khan reprimanded him for his positive statements about the federal government and for having a photo session with the Prime Minister. On Friday, KP passed a budget without considering and knowing the federal government allocations.
The same day he said that he knew how many days were left behind his given deadline to the federal government. He said once the deadline is over, he will get to know the government who is who and what is what. On Saturday the SIFC’s meeting was held again and Gandapur was not invited at first to this meeting. Later he was invited and he attended this meeting too. After that, he visited Khan at Adiala jail and contrary to the expectations passed no controversial statement. He met with the federal interior minister and federal minister for energy. He addressed a joint press conference also with both these ministers.
He said “We will jointly work with the federal government. The government realized our problem positively. We have no issues with any institution. We have devised an effective action plan in collaboration with the federal government and it will put an end to the issue of load shedding in the province.”
“We have tried to find a solution together and have decided to work jointly to address the issue of load-shedding,” he said. The minister for energy said, “Today, PTI, PMLN, and other parties have taken a big step together, which will lead the country to better conditions.” Additionally, the CM announced a community-based program aimed at educating MNAs, MPs, and the public about the potential to eliminate load shedding through fair financial recovery. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi commended the joint effort. The KP’s CM was seen entirely changed from what he had been threatening to attack Islamabad.
This change was welcomed even at the public level and they wished that this cooperation and change in behavior would continue even in the future. People wish that both the ruling and opposition parties would jointly work for the betterment of Pakistan and people across the country. As far as the question concerning any deal with PTI, so far there is nothing like that. It may happen at some time in the future, but right now it is not possible and in fact, tension between the judiciary and the military establishment is going on because of the PTI’s founding chairman. New elections, the release of Imran Khan, and a change in military command are the demands of the PTI. Can there be talks right now when Mr. Khan is giving anti-Pakistan statements?
It seems that the government initially did not send an invitation to Gandapur as a message. He was informed that things would not go his way. The government even sealed the PTI office, and the provincial cabinet of Punjab approved new cases against Mr. Khan. All of this appeared to be part of a tough stance. This is why Mr. Gandapur was later invited. However, it seems that this behavior change may not last long.
How can it be addressed when half of the KP is reported without electricity meters while there is a significant difference between the production and consumption of electricity and the shortfall has reached nearly 6000 megawatts? There are also concerns about the release of finances to KP, as the federal government seems unable to address this issue. Additionally, under the new IMF conditions, provinces are required to return any unutilized surplus budget to the federal government, which could create problems in the future. KP is questioning how it can comply with this demand when it claims that the federal government owes the province Rs. 300 billion.
Gandapur stated that the government is obligated to pay KP Rs. 92 billion in surplus revenue as part of the IMF conditions, and this issue could affect the collaboration between the federal and provincial governments. Anyway, the ball is now in the court of the federal government regarding how it attains cooperation from KP to send a message to the world that federal and provincial governments are on one page.
(Written by senior journalist Rana Kashif )
