New KP setup not designed for power-sharing, Talal tells JUI-F chief

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi terms Fazlur Rehman’s remarks “disappointing”

Reacting to Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s recent comments, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) setup was not meant to accommodate political alliances or power-sharing, while Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also voiced his disagreement with the JUI-F chief.

In a statement, the minister said that the provincial arrangement was not designed to serve anyone’s personal interests or political ambitions.

Chaudhry’s remarks follow a similar statement from Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who, without naming the JUI-F chief, said the head of a political party was “deeply upset” about not getting the KP governorship or a role in the governor’s rule setup.

The security czar also said the leader had relied on the establishment’s support for decades to remain in politics

“I had not expected this from Maulana Sahib,” Chaudhry said, adding that he did not want to make remarks that might offend the JUI-F chief.

Referring to Fazlu Rehman’s remarks about the events of 1971, the state minister described the episode as a painful chapter in history that people found distressing to recall.

He questioned why the JUI-F chief had brought up 1971 after the 2024 general elections, asking whether the events had occurred after the elections or were part of a much older history.

He added that some of the remarks were harsh and, in his view, did not befit Maulana’s stature.

Separately, Governor Kundi also expressed disappointment over the remarks and disagreed with the JUI-F chief’s stance on the imposition of governor’s rule in the province.

Speaking to the media in Peshawar, Governor Kundi said he was deeply disappointed by Maulana’s speech the previous day, adding that he had not expected such remarks from a senior politician.

The governor referred to Maulana’s claim that he could not move freely in his own area and his assertion that the provincial government had failed to maintain law and order.

Kundi said it would not be accurate to claim that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was making no efforts to establish peace and maintain law and order.

Kundi further claimed that decisions taken by the previous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had come from Kabul and Kandahar rather than Islamabad.