Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. SCREEN CAPTURE
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has described the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment as an attempt to trample on the Constitution.
According to the KP CM, a government supposedly formed on the basis of a rigged election cannot be allowed to tamper with a unanimous national document.
“The current government in power only has 17 [genuinely acquired] seating [in the National Assembly] “In total, they have no public mandate or authority to amend the Constitution,” Afridi, who belongs to the PTI, said on Sunday. The CM was responding to a journalist during his visit to a bus rapid transit (BRT) station in Peshawar.
The PML-N-led federal government has introduced the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Senate, proposing a number of changes to the Constitutions, including one related to the formation of the Federal Constitutional Court.
The country’s main alliance of opposition parties, the TTAP, which includes the PTI, has rejected the proposed amendments, warning that the proposed adjustments to the Constitution would shake the very foundations of the country.
Echoing the opposition view, CM Afridi claimed that the ruling coalition now wants to “trample on the Constitution”. The PTI and some other political parties claim that the February 2024 general elections were massively rigged to prevent Imran’s party from forming the government.
Responding to another question, he announced that on November 12, the KP government will convene a grand jirga to chart a path for the eradication of terrorism and lasting peace.
“Legislators, former parliamentarians and AMPs and political party leaders will be invited to participate so that a permanent solution for peace and stability can be achieved,” he said.
Afridi also announced the extension of BRT service to Jamrud Tedi Bazaar and Bara Bazaar in Khyber district. He said that the BRT service in Peshawar is a gift from their leader, PTI founder Imran Khan, to the people of KP.
“The BRT is providing quality, affordable transportation service to the poor and middle class,” he said. The CM revealed that to reduce passenger congestion on BRT buses, his government has purchased 50 new buses and will soon purchase another 50.
In addition, the service will be expanded to more areas so that a greater number of people can benefit from it. During the visit, the CM interacted with citizens and asked their opinion about the service.
Accompanied by elected legislators and the chief secretary, he traveled by BRT from Peshawar University station to Karkhano station, chatting with passengers along the way.
