Daily Times

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sharply criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on Friday for its handling of corruption, alleging that anyone who exposed corruption within the provincial government faced punitive actions. His remarks came as he signed the summary for the de-notification of Provincial Minister for Communications and Works, Shakeel Ahmad Khan. Governor Kundi asserted that corruption in the province had reached unprecedented levels, with specific rates now applied to postings and transfers. He accused the PTI government of dismantling accountability institutions, such as the Ehtisaab Commission, to protect its corrupt practices. Kundi claimed that the government’s focus had shifted to removing obstacles to corruption rather than addressing the issue itself. Furthermore, Kundi argued that the charges against Shakeel Ahmad Khan should have led to the resignation of the Chief Minister, rather than the minister himself. Shakeel Ahmad Khan, who recently resigned from his ministerial position, cited corruption within the provincial government as his primary reason for stepping down. In his resignation letter submitted to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Khan expressed his dissatisfaction with the administration, stating, “I can no longer tolerate the pervasive corruption and am compelled to resign.” Khan indicated that he would provide further details regarding his resignation during the upcoming KP Assembly session. He had previously accused the Chief Minister of interfering in his ministry and obstructing his efforts to address widespread corruption and mismanagement in the province.