Latest news with #Gandapur
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
CM makes pitch for K-P role in talks with Kabul
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has demanded that the K-P government be made a part of peace talks with neighboring Afghanistan, warning that excluding the province would render the negotiations incomplete. Addressing a jirga in Peshawar, K-P Chief Minister Gandapur extended felicitations to the entire nation over a befitting response to Indian aggression, saying that PTI founding chairman Imran Khan, despite being unjustly imprisoned, united the entire nation against Indian hostilitiesproving himself a true leader. Expressing his gratitude to Imran Khan and his supporters, Gandapur said their unwavering stance was instrumental in defending Pakistan. "Despite political differences, we have forged national unity for the sake of the country's sovereignty and integrity," he said. The chief minister also called on the federal government to avoid imposing taxes on the erstwhile FATA and PATA regions, arguing that the local population is not financially capable of bearing such burdens. "These areas have been severely affected by the war on terror and require significant investment," he emphasized. Highlighting the sacrifices of people from merged districts, the chief minister urged the federal government to fulfill all promises made to them. He demanded immediate release of compensation money for people displaced from these regions and called for an end to drone strikes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing civilian casualties. He also demanded immediate inclusion of the merged districts' share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. "We are not asking for another province's share — we're demanding our rightful due," he said. The chief minister further urged the federal government to release all pending dues owed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including net hydel profit and the province's full share in tobacco cess. "These are the rightful entitlements of our people," he asserted. In his address, the chief minister urged the reinstatement of the traditional jirga system to sustainably resolve disputes in the merged districts. He also demanded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's inclusion in peace talks with neighboring Afghanistan, warning that excluding the province would render the negotiations incomplete.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
K-P vows furniture for all students
In a significant move to bolster public education, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has announced that all students enrolled in government schools across the province will receive proper furniture during the next fiscal year. The initiative is part of the province's ongoing "education emergency" campaign aimed at uplifting basic educational infrastructure. Chairing a high-level meeting on Sunday to finalize the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the upcoming financial year, the chief minister directed relevant authorities to ensure that no student in the public sector is left sitting on the floor due to a lack of furniture. He assured that all necessary funds for this initiative would be made available on a priority basis. Emphasizing the provincial government's commitment to improving basic school facilities, Gandapur reiterated that functional washrooms, access to clean drinking water, and adequate classroom furniture are non-negotiable priorities. In a broader push for quality education, the chief minister also announced the launch of a special program to enhance teaching standards in public schools. He directed that modern, skills-based training be made mandatory for all newly recruited teachers, adding that capacity-building for educators is essential for long-term educational reform. The ADP planning meeting was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister on Finance Muzammil Aslam, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development Ikramullah Khan, and administrative secretaries of various departments. Participants held detailed deliberations on development proposals submitted by departments including Education, Health, Irrigation, Water Supply, Planning, Communications, and Local Government. Each project was individually reviewed for inclusion in the new ADP. Speaking to the attendees, Chief Minister Gandapur described the upcoming ADP as a "visionary document" that would guide the province's development agenda for the next four years. He said the plan would incorporate input from elected representatives and prioritize projects based on the genuine needs of local communities. He further stated that the bulk of next year's development budget would be dedicated to completing ongoing projects, particularly those with over 80 per cent of work already completed. Approximately 50 per cent of other existing projects are also expected to be finalized within the year. "The new ADP will be realistic and rooted in public needs," Gandapur said. "We will not chase superficial progress at the expense of essential services. Taxpayers' money will be used wisely and transparently." Declaring that "every constituency in the province is my constituency," the CM assured that development initiatives would be allocated without political bias, with a special focus on uplifting underdeveloped areas.
Express Tribune
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Gandapur skips Field Marshal's dinner
As the country's top brass gathered under one roof at a high-profile dinner hosted by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Friday night, one conspicuous chair remained empty - that of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. Despite being invited, the PTI stalwart sat the event out, choosing instead to attend a high-level party meeting focused on securing the release of PTI's jailed founding chairman, Imran Khan. Gandapur's absence and the broader non-participation of the PTI leadership once again served as a pointed reminder that while the country's ruling elite was breaking bread, its rift with the former ruling party over the ex-premier's incarceration remained far from healed - a divide that had briefly narrowed during the recent Pakistan-India war. The Friday night banquet, hosted in honour of the armed forces' success in Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, drew an elite crowd: President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the three provincial chief ministers (barring K-P), governors, key cabinet members and senior political leaders, including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and ANP's Aimal Wali Khan. "CM Sahib didn't attend the dinner as he was busy in a party meeting called to discuss about Imran Khan's release from jail," KP CM's spokesperson Faraz Mughal told The Express Tribune. "Meeting about Imran Khan's release was more important than field marshal's dinner," the spokesperson said. Mughal said that Imran's sisters and party's key leaders had a long meeting regarding founding chairman's release and that is why he didn't attend the dinner. He also confirmed that it was the same reason – party meeting about Khan's release – why Gandapur didn't attended the ceremony where the army chief was officially elevated to the rank of field marshal at the Presidency the other day. Since August 2023, Imran Khan is incarcerated at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, serving sentences in multiple cases, including charges related to corruption – a charge that he used to frequently level against his political opponents and refused to even shake hands with them on this ground alone. The efforts by his party to secure his release have so far yielded little progress. Khan and his party maintain that the cases against him are politically motivated, aimed at sidelining him from the national political landscape. His continued imprisonment has not only remained a rallying point for PTI leaders and supporters but become a central issue in the party's ongoing standoff with the establishment. PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, while speaking to The Express Tribune said: "no one from our party was part of the dinner. I have no information suggesting any PTI leader was invited. Had anyone been invited, I would have known." The party spokesperson while confirming that the CM was "definitely invited" said the chief minister's spokesperson would be in a better position to comment further. He, however, added that neither he had any information nor seen any photographs indicating Gandapur attended the event. Apparently, the non-invitation to PTI and conspicuous absence of provincial chief minister underscores the lingering strain between the party and the powerful stakeholders amid PTI leaders' frequent statements that the party was ready to hold talks with the establishment to lower the political temperature in the country. The question about PTI and Gandapur's absence surfaced after the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement, video and photos of the Friday night's dinner. The video and photos showed Field Marshal receiving the guests, which also included PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and ANP's Aimal Wali Khan. The military's media wing's statement said that President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Shehbaz Shari, deputy PM and foreign minister; chairman senate; speaker national assembly; federal ministers; governors; chief ministers; chairman joint chiefs of staff committee; chief of air and naval staff; senior leadership of major political parties; high-ranking government officials; and senior officers from the three services were present at the gathering. Field Marshal had hosted the dinner to celebrate success in the operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos. On May 10, 2025, Pakistan had launched the as a retaliatory response to unprovoked Indian aggression, including missile strikes on Pakistani airbases and civilian areas. The operation, named after a Quranic term meaning "solid structure," was aimed to neutralise key Indian military installations and demonstrate Pakistan's military resolve. Following Indian attacks, the Armed Forces of Pakistan targeted the BrahMos missile storage facility in Beas, airbases in Udhampur and Pathankot and a military intelligence training facility in Rajouri. Pakistan's armed forces also shot down at least five Indian fighter jets, including a Rafale aircraft. Pakistan's strong response soon drew international attention and got recognition from several countries and renowned experts, with global powers urging both nations to de-escalate tensions and avoid further military confrontations. A ceasefire has been in place since then.
Express Tribune
24-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
CM Gandapur reviews development proposals for DI Khan Division
A consultative meeting chaired by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur was held on Saturday to review development proposals for the Dera Ismail Khan Division as part of preparations for the upcoming Annual Development Programme (ADP). The session, part of a series of ongoing meetings, focused on evaluating and prioritizing projects for inclusion in the new ADP. Attendees included members of the National and Provincial Assemblies from the DI Khan Division, as well as senior officials from divisional and district administrations. Officials provided detailed briefings on the status and implementation of development projects initiated under the current fiscal year's ADP across the division's four districts. Chief Minister Gandapur emphasized that completing ongoing development schemes would be the top priority in the forthcoming budget. He announced that a substantial portion of the development funds would be allocated to projects nearing completion to ensure timely public benefit. "Projects with at least 80 percent completion will be finalized in the coming year," he stated. "Additionally, large-scale projects that address the broader needs of the population will be prioritized for inclusion in the new ADP." He noted that the ADP's 13-year throw-forward has been reduced to seven years and is expected to be trimmed further in the next fiscal year. The Chief Minister highlighted that a record 550 development schemes were completed during the current yearthe highest in the province's historywith over 600 expected to be completed in the coming year. He urged elected representatives to propose projects that would benefit large segments of the population. He also reiterated the government's commitment to the health and education sectors.
Business Recorder
23-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
No support for IMF terms unless IK given access to PTI leaders: CM
ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur issued a blunt warning Thursday, declaring that his provincial government would not back the federal government's efforts to meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions unless jailed party founding chairman Imran Khan was granted access to party leaders. Speaking to reporters outside Rawalpindi's notorious Adiala Jail following a meeting with the former prime minister, Gandapur demanded that five to six senior PTI members be permitted to meet with Khan to finalise the KP budget for the next fiscal year. The high-stakes ultimatum comes as both federal and provincial governments prepare their budgets, with Islamabad seeking a crucial new deal with the IMF to stabilise Pakistan's ailing economy. Gandapur, a close confidant of Khan, reiterated the PTI's long-standing claim that the party's 'mandate' in the 2024 elections was 'stolen,' emphasising the need for 'constitutional supremacy' and 'real democracy.' The CM also called for swift judicial action on pending cases against PTI leaders, urging the judiciary to deliver final verdicts and demanding Khan's immediate release. He emphasised that the PTI chief was ready for talks, stressing national reconciliation as a priority. On the budget, Gandapur confidently touted KP as the only province to meet its performance targets, vowing that the upcoming budget would be the 'best' yet. Taking aim at the federal government, Gandapur again warned that KP would refuse to participate in IMF negotiations unless the Islamabad leadership shifted its 'attitude' toward the PTI-led province. In response to the ongoing corruption scandal allegedly involving Rs40 billion, Gandapur directed pointed criticism at former KP CM Mahmood Khan and ex-finance minister Taimur Khan Jhagra, calling for an investigation into their roles. He claimed his administration had already recovered Rs20 billion and vowed to retrieve the remaining funds. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
