PM Shehbaz, CM Gandapur break the ice in ‘positive meeting’

ISLAMABAD: In a major political development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur met Prime Minister (PM), Shehbaz Sharif belonging to rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference along with Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the KP chief minister hailed his first engagement with PM Shehbaz Sharif ‘positive’ and said they discussed public and provincial issues, law and order and other matters.

“It was very positive and he [PM Shehbaz Sharif] assured of his full support, would fulfil his promise and would not lie,” CM Ali Amin Gandapur said.

He stressed the need for ‘collaborative efforts’ to solve public issues and the need for the federal and provincial governments to deliver.

Gandapur said he has asked the premier to engage with PTI founder Imran Khan as political engagement will lead to a ‘political solution’.

The KP chief minister also urged PM Shehbaz Sharif to facilitate a meeting of his with PTI founder Imran Khan. “He [Shehbaz] told me plainly he would make my meeting possible so I can complete consultations regarding the Senate election,” he added.

Referring to PTI founder Imran Khan’s letter to International Monetary Fund (IMF), the chief minister said that his party’s stance wasn’t focused on obstructing funds for Pakistan. “Our stance was to probe the alleged rigging in election,” he clarified.

For his part, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal expressed his positivity on the talks, saying that the premier had reassured that the province’s dues would be fulfilled by the federal government.

Iqbal said the prime minister had obligated officials of the finance ministry to sit down with KP officials on the matter of dues to the province. “He [the premier] also gave instructions regarding difficulties faced by the people during suhoor and iftar in KP,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Punjab government restrained KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur from meeting PTI founder Imran Khan in Adiala jail, citing security issues.

In a letter written to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the Punjab government maintained that due to the security threat, there is a ban on meeting in the Adiala jail.

“Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gundapur should cancel his visit to the jail,” the letter read. It added that the security of prisons in Attock, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Mianwali jails has also been beefed up.