PTI blasts govt for KP CM Gandapur’s alleged exclusion from SIFC meeting

The PTI on Thursday lashed out at the government for allegedly excluding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur from an upcoming meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

The government formed the SIFC in June 2023 to bring together provincial and federal government representatives, as well as military officials, in a decision-making forum. Its goals include seeking solutions for economic revival and increasing FDI inflows.

Moreover, the council is managed by an apex committee comprising the prime minister, chief of army staff, chief ministers and other high-ranking government officials.

In a SIFC meeting in March, PM Shehbaz had hailed the attending civil-military leadership for “coming together for the country’s development and prosperity.”

He had stated that seeking support from provincial governments was crucial to successfully implement macro-economic agendas. The meeting was also attended by CM Gandapur.

Today, the PTI alleged through a post on X that there was “clear malice” behind an alleged decision to not invite CM Gandapur to the “unconstitutional and illegal” SIFC meeting.

“Dozens of government-run motels have already been taken over by military companies through the caretaker military government of KP,” the party said, referring to the caretaker KP government’s February decision to lease out 17 motels of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation to a military entity for a period of 30 years.

“It is feared that the purpose of not inviting the KP CM is to keep secret the plans for further military occupation of the resources of KP, which is rich in natural resources,” the PTI alleged.

The party said it strongly condemned the alleged move and demanded that all details about the performance of “this unconstitutional and fraudulent institution should be made public in a transparent manner”.

The alleged move comes at a time when CM Gandapur is already at odds with the current government.

Last week, he had announced a probe into the financial and administrative moves of the caretaker government in the province.

The chief minister had said the political parties that “facilitated” the caretaker government in delaying the February 8 elections should mend their ways. The chief minister had said he would continue fighting for the rights of the province and wouldn’t let Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration have smooth sailing in the event of the denial of those rights.

Directly threatening KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi earlier this month, CM Gandapur had warned of dire consequences if the governor did not stop interfering in politics.

Moreover, the chief minister had recently threatened to “take over the entire Peshawar Electric Supply Company system” if the government did not resolve the issue of excessive and unannounced load shedding in the province.