The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has given conditional approval to the budget of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for the next fiscal year, after detailed information of the provincial advisor Barrister Saif.
Speaking to journalists after meeting Imran in Adiala’s prison, he said that the former prime minister had been completely informed about the financial situation of the province, constitutional challenges and what the opposition described as a strategy to block the approval of the budget.
He said that the founder of the party, after listening to all the details, expressed his agreement with the approval of the budget. “I transmitted everything that Prime Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Muzzammil Aslam wanted to communicate,” said Saif, added: “After hearing the informative session, Imran Khan agreed to approve the budget.”
Read more: KP budget to be approved only after Imran’s assent, says the assistant of CM
SAIF confirmed that political and constitutional issues were discussed in detail during their meeting with Khan, and the PTI chief was informed about the legal risks that could have arisen if the budget had not been approved within the period of the Constitution.
“Delays could have interrupted salary disbursement and stopped the functions of the essential government,” he said.
He also revealed that the founder of PTI was informed about an alleged meeting in the governor’s house where, according to the reports, the opposition parties had devised a plan to block the budget ticket. “If the budget had not been approved, it could have caused a government crisis in the province,” he said.
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According to SAIF, the KP government made a wide consultation with legal experts and party members before continuing with the budget. The final decision to approve it was taken after the meetings of the Parliamentary Party and the internal deliberations, he added.
He said that changes in the budget remained a possibility after a planned meeting between Imran Khan, Gandapur and Muzzammil Asm. “Imran Khan will issue instructions after that meeting, and the amendments will be held accordingly,” he said.
Previously, Imran had expressed reservations about the budget approval.
According to his sister Aleema Khan, who also met him in Adial’s prison, Imran said: “The budget should not have been approved without my opinion. Now, with the permission of the Supreme Court, the changes they consider necessary must be made. This is my final decision.”
Aleem cited him by saying that the excess projected in the budget was discouraged, since he benefited the federal government and contradicted the financial reality of the province.
He added that he regretted not having been consulted before, particularly by CM Gandapur, and asked a team of five members to gather him with him and discuss the required amendments. In addition, he said that Imran was dissatisfied with the restrictions on who could meet him in jail.
When commenting on the governance of the country, Imran said there was no hybrid system instead, but a de facto martial law. “He said he would only talk to those who really have power, citing a recent call from Donald Trump to the Army Chief, Gen also Munir, as evidence,” said Aleema, citing his brother.
He also said that Imran criticized the international position of the government, claiming that foreign leaders did not get involved with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif or President Asif Ali Zardari.
In international affairs, the former prime minister welcomed the fire between Iran and Israel, but urged Pakistan to concentrate inward. “Iran is a strong nation, we must learn from them,” he said, emphasizing the need to defend the rule of law and defend constitutional rights.
