Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi raised concerns about the law and order situation in the province, criticising the provincial government for failing to meet its constitutional responsibilities.

At a press conference in Mansehra, Governor Kundi emphasised that despite the ongoing severe lawlessness, the federal government respects the mandate given by the public to PTI to govern the province and rejects any notion of imposing governor rule.

He highlighted that since the 18th Constitutional Amendment was approved in 2011, maintaining law and order has been the responsibility of the provincial government. Kundi lamented that even after the Bannu incident the provincial government has not lived up to public expectations, failing to convene an in-camera session of the provincial assembly.

The governor called for an urgent in-camera session of the assembly and cabinet to brief the members and ministers on the worsening law and order situation, noting the martyrdom of armed forces personnel and the kidnapping of judges in the southern districts.

Kundi added that KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur had served him with a defamation notice for Rs500 million. But the governor advised Gandapur to first address the issue of corruption in job appointments and transfers, accusing him of setting rates for such transactions and making appointments based on bribes.

While addressing the possibility of an alliance between PTI and JUI-F against the PML-N-led federal government, Governor Kundi expressed skepticism. He argued that such an alliance was almost impossible as Maulana Fazlur Rehman was seeking retribution, having labeled Imran Khan’s party as foreign agents.

In a separate address at a PPP workers’ convention, Governor Kundi announced the reorganisation of his party in KP. He also criticised the provincial government for failing to appoint full-time vice-chancellors in 26 out of 36 universities of the province, highlighting another area of governance that needs urgent attention.