Taking another U-turn, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday decided to pass the provincial budget of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without taking approval from the party founder, Imran Khan.
Earlier, the party and its Chief Minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, had categorically announced that the budget would not be passed until they discussed it with the Khan in Adiala Jail and got his approval in this regard.
The chief minister, in a video, threatened that he would dissolve the provincial assembly if the federal government did not allow the party leader to meet Khan for approval of the budget. The provincial assembly has to pass the financial bill before 1st July 2025.
Now the party has decided that the KP Assembly will pass the provincial budget for the next financial year (FY), 2025-26, even if the party leadership is not allowed to hold a meeting with the former prime minister and the party’s patron-in-chief, Imran Khan, to get his approval.
In a declaration issued by the party’s political committee on Monday, it was said it was a bad intention on the part of the federal government that it had not allowed the party leadership to meet the patron-in-chief.
However, the party has decided that it will not fall into the trap laid by the federal government. “People trust the KP government and it does not want that trust to be eroded,” read the declaration.
It was further stated in the declaration that if the budget was not approved, the provincial government would face a financial crisis due to which would benefit the federal government.
Likewise, making it an excuse that the budget has not been passed, the Center could impose an emergency in the province.
The declaration said that the budget would be passed for the time being and changes would be made in it at a later stage following consultations with Imran Khan.
It should be noted that PTI, particularly its chief Imran Khan, is infamous for taking U-turns frequently.
