Govt refutes allegations of irregularities
In a statement issued on Sunday, the provincial administration labeled recent media reports as "baseless" and part of a "misleading propaganda campaign" allegedly driven by vested interests within the solar industry.
The Energy and Power Department clarified that the large-scale solarization project is being implemented through the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), a subsidiary body of the department.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur recently inaugurated the first phase of the initiative via online e-balloting, ensuring a transparent selection of eligible beneficiaries. Authorities emphasized that no funds have yet been disbursed under the scheme, nor has any contract been awarded to a vendor. The project's cost estimates have been prepared in line with the Market Rate System (MRS) 2024 and endorsed by the Finance Department's approved market analysis.
The project underwent rigorous evaluation and received clearance from a Technical Committee.
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Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
K-P CM Gandapur urges consultation before imposing decisions on province
Listen to article Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Wednesday said that innocent and unarmed civilians were martyred in the Bajaur incident and asserted that decisions should not be imposed on the province without consultation. An emergency meeting on the law and order situation was held under the chairmanship of the chief minister. The meeting was attended by members of the PTI parliamentary party, the chief secretary, the inspector general of police, the additional chief secretary, and other relevant officials. During the meeting, the law and order situation was reviewed in light of the Bajaur incident, and the chief minister was briefed by relevant authorities on the latest developments. Following the meeting, CM Gandapur issued a video statement, stating that the provincial government stands by the decisions made during the recent All Parties Conference on peace and security. He said the government is preparing for the implementation of those decisions. Calling the Bajaur incident a tragic event, Gandapur said that military operations against terrorism are causing civilian casualties, which negatively impact public trust. 'These kinds of incidents are eroding public trust in the army, and without public confidence, we cannot win the war against terrorism,' he said. The chief minister said that the security personnel martyred in the war on terror are 'our children too' and are as dear as the civilians of the province. He said flawed policies are preventing proper recognition of these sacrifices and called for a revision of such policies. Read: Gandapur opens K-P's first food laboratory He said a schedule for holding jirgas in the merged districts had been issued. Local-level jirgas will be held over the next ten days, followed by a grand jirga. Consultations with local elders, elected representatives, and stakeholders will help formulate a future course of action and narrative. Gandapur said that the recommendations from the jirgas would be presented before security officials for a possible review of current policy. He reiterated that the fight against terrorism must be based on public trust. He also expressed reservations regarding the use of 'Action in Aid of Civil Power' and said an assembly session has been called from August 1 to debate this issue, among others, and determine whether it is serving its intended purpose. 'Our clear message is that we stand with the people and will go to every length for them,' the chief minister said. 'This is our province, our land. Wrong decisions should not be imposed on us without consultation.' He assured the public that Imran Khan's party, its workers, and the provincial government stand with them. 'We will not rest until their problems are resolved,' he added. CM Gandapur said he had instructed all deputy commissioners not to impose curfew or Section 144 without prior approval from the Home Department. Earlier, a meeting chaired by the chief minister was held on the law and order situation in Bajaur. Condolences and sympathies were expressed for the families of civilians and security personnel martyred in the incident. The chief minister announced Rs10 million in compensation for the families of each martyred civilian and security official, and Rs2.5 million each for the injured civilians and security personnel.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Arrest warrants for KP CM suspended
ISLAMABAD: A local court on Tuesday suspended the arrest warrants of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur after he surrendered before it in an illegal weapons and liquor case. Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hussain Chishti suspended the arrest warrant of Gandapur after he appeared before it. The court also cancelled the notice issued to Gandapur surety. At the start of the hearing, Gandapur's counsel Raja Zahoorul Hassan told the court that today his client will not record his statement under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). He requested the court to first hear the acquittal application of his client as a judicial order regarding this already, he said. Judge responded, alright, let us start the argument on the acquittal application, I am listening. The defence counsel requested additional time, stating, I cannot present arguments today. I need at least five hours for proper defence. The judge replied, 'You have five hours, please proceed.' 'If I am to argue for five hour, I need five days for preparation,' the defence lawyer said. He further said that the court should prove us the amended questionnaire under Section 342 so that both the defence arguments and the statement could be submitted together. The judge assured him that you will receive the questionnaire by 3:00 pm. During the hearing, Gandapur explained his absence from the previous hearing held on July 21, citing his role as a voter in the Senate elections alongside his responsibilities as chief minister. The judge said that we had given you the option to record his statement online. Gandapur told the court that he had attempted to join hearing online but there was an internet issue in the court. The court granted Gandapur to leave and adjourned hearing. The court adjourned hearing of the case till July 31. Talking to the reporters after the hearing, the chief minister said that we are not afraid of such fake cases. Our spirits will not be dampened by disqualifications or arrests, he added. He said that the case filed against him was entirely fabricated. When this case was registered, I was not even present at the scene, and the vehicle in question did not belong to me, he said. Reaffirming his commitment to leading the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) movement in the province, the chief minister announced a major public mobilisation campaign. I will lead the movement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and on August 5, people from every district and constituency will come out, he said. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
K-P CM overseeing Tirah crisis: adviser
Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister, has said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is personally overseeing the Tirah incident and has summoned a jirga of tribal elders in Peshawar to hear their concerns. "The CM is in constant contact with the relevant administration [to address the crisis]," Saif said in a statement on Monday. According to the adviser, the government is deeply saddened by the tragedy. Five people died and 17 others sustained injuries on Sunday when protesters were fired upon during a protest outside a military installation at the Bagh Maidan area of Tirah Valley of the Khyber district against the killing of a girl . Both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and CM Gandapur condemned the shooting. "We have announced Rs10 million each in compensation for those killed and Rs2.5 million for each of the injured. The provincial government stands in solidarity with the affected families and will remain beside them during this time of grief and sorrow," he added. He said the K-P government last week convened an All Parties Conference (APC) to prevent such incidents in the future. However, he lamented that opposition parties as well as K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, boycotted the conference, displaying a non-serious behavior. Meanwhile, PTI's K-P Organizational Committee, in an emergency meeting, strongly condemned ongoing "state violence" against peaceful citizens across the K-P, especially in the merged districts, which constituted the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) till early 2018. The committee unanimously asserted that extended military deployment under Article 245 of the Constitution has created an unchecked environment of force and ineffective accountability, violating basic rights and disrupting local peace. It made a strong demand to the federal government to revoke all notifications issued under Article 245 within 15 days and to formally announce the withdrawal of military forces from the merged districts. All PTI members in the KP Assembly were instructed to immediately present a resolution based on this demand and to ensure its passage with support from other parties. The committee further directed that the K-P advocate general (AG) be instructed to file an urgent petition in the Supreme Court to lift the stay order issued on December 22, 2023, which has suspended the Peshawar High Court's ruling limiting the scope of Article 245.
