KP Prime Minister denounces prison conditions, pushes for financial rights and approves education scholarships
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. SCREEN CAPTURE
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi, addressing the 42nd meeting of the provincial cabinet, strongly condemned the “unjust imprisonment and continued isolation” of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.
He criticized the lack of essential items in the jail during the harsh winter and called the use of water cannons against Imran Khan’s sisters “deeply shameful”, stating that the provincial government “strongly condemns this unfair and inhumane treatment”.
During the session, Chief Minister Afridi informed the cabinet about the formation of a sub-committee during the National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting to safeguard the financial rights of the province. The committee, headed by the Provincial Finance Adviser, will present recommendations to the forum.
He stressed that all political and legal avenues would be explored to secure the funds owed to the province. In particular, he highlighted that the merged districts were promised Rs 100 billion annually for development, but only Rs 168 billion had been provided over seven years, leaving Rs 532 billion outstanding.
Addressing the newly appointed secretaries, the prime minister highlighted appointments based on merit, transparency and zero tolerance towards corruption. He directed all departments to submit proposals for the Annual Development Program (ADP) 2026-27 by mid-February, giving priority to public welfare projects.
The cabinet approved the E-Transfer Policy 2025 for teachers of the Department of Primary and Secondary Education. Afridi said the policy, inspired by the vision of PTI founder Imran Khan, aims to ensure transparency and merit in teaching positions, while allowing educators to focus on teaching.
The policy incorporates factors such as length of service, student-teacher ratio, annual performance, and special circumstances such as disability, widowhood, or spouse displacement. Despite a previous ban on transfers, more than 400 recommendations were received, none of which were acted upon.
Shafi Jan, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations, said the Cabinet also approved over Rs 2 billion to complete the Good Governance Roadmap interventions in environmental and social education, including infrastructure improvements, the Education Internship Program and innovative sectoral interventions. A one-time grant of Rs 300 million was given to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Education Endowment Fund to provide scholarships across the province, including the merged districts.
Other key decisions included Rs 2.1 million for an Umrah package for the family of late organ donor Jawad Khan, funding for the Ehsaas Rozgar Program to support over 8,000 vulnerable people and financial allocations for health infrastructure, including Rs 2.13 billion for the Khyber Institute of Child Health and Children’s Hospital, Rs 454 million for the Jamrud Institute of Health Sciences and Rs 1.57 billion for Lady Reading Hospital.
