Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahram Khan Tarakai has called on the federal government to “sit with us and listen,” highlighting a deep divide between the central government and the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Speaking on a television program, Tarakai addressed the growing friction between the center and the province. He clarified that the provincial government is “absolutely ready” to engage with federal authorities on critical humanitarian issues, such as aid for flood victims.
However, he also pointed to the challenges the province faces, emphasizing that KP is on the “front line” in the war against terrorism.
Tarakai criticized the treatment of the new Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi. He revealed that the Chief Minister was prevented from meeting his party’s founding chairman (in prison), even though he needed to consult him regarding the formation of the provincial cabinet.
Expressing deep frustration with the current political dynamics, Tarakai made a stark comparison, stating, “The situation is that the Prime Minister is even weaker than the Adiala Jail Superintendent.” He questioned the nature of the country’s democracy, asking how a sitting Chief Minister could be blocked from meeting his party leader.
