Peshawar: Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur criticized his own party’s government during the provincial budget debate, raising concerns about resource distribution and development priorities.
Speaking in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Gandapur said that the failure to resolve public issues reflects a collective failure of the government and elected representatives. He argued that the benefits of legislation have not reached ordinary citizens and that laws are not producing meaningful improvements in people’s lives.
Addressing the assembly, he stressed that human rights protection should be a priority and stated that PTI founder Imran Khan should be granted all legal rights available under the law, including access to television and newspapers if regulations permit. He added that nations progress by investing in people, strong institutions, economic growth, and an effective justice system.
Gandapur also demanded that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa receive its full constitutional share under the Net Hydel Profit (NHP) mechanism and the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. He said the province’s share should not be reduced following the merger of the former tribal districts and warned that such actions could create distrust among the public.
The former chief minister supported the opposition leader’s view that ongoing development projects should be completed before launching new ones. He questioned the allocation of development funds, noting that despite announcements of a Rs200 billion Hazara package, only Rs4 billion had been allocated. He further argued that key sectors such as livestock, agriculture, minerals, and tourism had received insufficient funding despite their potential to strengthen the provincial economy.
Gandapur also criticized the use of loans for localized projects, saying borrowing should only be directed toward initiatives capable of generating future revenue. He called for fair and balanced resource distribution across all regions and acknowledged that he had made mistakes in the past by supporting the allocation of funds to political supporters, urging current lawmakers not to repeat those errors.