Addressing the cabinet via video link, the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expressed serious reservations over the conduct of the Punjab government during his recent three-day visit to Punjab. He termed the Punjab government’s behavior as undemocratic, unethical, and condemnable. He informed the cabinet that members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet were subjected to violence and harassment during the visit.
The Chief Minister stated that the routes of a provincial chief minister were repeatedly blocked, markets were forcibly shut down, motorway rest areas were closed by Punjab Police, and even the lights were switched off during his visit to the Mazar-e-Iqbal. He said that such conduct reflected moral and intellectual decline. He added that at a time of economic and political instability, such behavior was not only alarming but also incomprehensible. In circumstances demanding national unity, hateful attitudes were harmful to the country.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government strongly condemns the conduct of the Punjab government, he said. The Chief Minister directed all provincial government officers to extend exemplary hospitality and maximum facilitation to official delegations from other provinces, emphasizing that no one should feel like a stranger in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Chief Minister also raised strong objections over the non-release of AIP funds by the federal government, stating that the lack of funds had severely affected the progress of development projects in the merged districts. He informed the cabinet that the federal government owed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rs 4,758 billion. He alleged that the federal Ministry of Finance attempted a media trial regarding fiscal releases through fabricated propaganda. He demanded that the federal government disclose complete details of funds released to all provinces and present a comparison of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s outstanding dues with those of other provinces. He directed all departments to write formal letters regarding the outstanding payments and obtain written responses.
The Chief Minister also directed departments to accelerate work on ongoing development projects and declared health and education as the top priorities of the provincial government. He said that in line with Imran Khan’s vision, health and education were the core priorities of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, and all available resources would be utilized to improve these sectors.
The meeting was attended by cabinet members, the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, Senior Member Board of Revenue, administrative secretaries, and the Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Information and Public Relations, Shafi Jan, briefed the media on key cabinet decisions. He said the cabinet approved the establishment of Takaful companies in the province under Islamic principles. Under this approval, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa General Takaful Company and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Family Takaful Company will be established. The cabinet also approved the allocation of Rs 2 billion for the General Takaful Company and Rs 3 billion for the Family Takaful Company. He said that since the establishment of the Bank of Khyber in 1990, this was the first time a new institution of this nature was being set up in the province. He explained that the General Takaful Company would cover health and other risk-related matters, while the Family Takaful Company would provide financial support to families in the event of the death of the family head.
The cabinet, he said, also approved a supplementary grant of Rs 3,825 million for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Safe Cities Project. The project was launched in its first phase in Peshawar, while the second phase includes D.I.Khan, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and Waziristan, among other districts. Shafi Jan said significant progress had been made on the Peshawar Safe City project, with 80 percent of work completed on some targets and over 50 percent on others. Work on Safe City projects in other cities is also underway. Due to an expansion in the scope of work, an additional grant was required, which was approved by the cabinet.
He further said that recommendations of the cabinet committee regarding the merger of the posts of Risaldar and Dafadar in the former FATA were presented, under which nomenclature approval was granted for 16 remaining posts. Subject to fulfillment of rules and regulations, these posts will be merged into the police.
The cabinet also approved the framework as per the prevailing conditions for maintaining the quota system for students from the former FATA in medical and other educational institutions on a merit basis after dividing South Waziristan into two districts. Other approvals included the establishment of a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cell for the National Finance Commission in the Small Industrial Development Board Plaza in Islamabad, reconstitution of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Trade Testing Board, and approval of Rs 199 million for security and other development needs around the Rashakai CPEC Economic Zone.
The cabinet also approved a grant of Rs 168 million for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Foundation, budget estimates of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Housing Authority, and the purchase of four vehicles worth Rs 49 million for the Mansehra Gravity Water Supply Scheme.
According to him, approval was also granted for financial assistance to compensate owners of rickshaws, petrol pumps, shops, vehicles, flour mills, and factories for losses incurred during the floods of 2025. Under the Good Governance Roadmap, the cabinet decided to launch the Ehsaas Education Internship Program with an initial allocation of Rs 207 million this year. The three-year program will provide internship opportunities in schools to 850 talented youth each year.
The cabinet also approved further hiring opportunity for 1,144 school leaders appointed on a contract basis. Financial assistance was approved for nine patients deprived of treatment due to financial constraints. The cabinet approved an increase in project cost for converting six Basic Health Units in Peshawar into Rural Health Centers, he said.
The cabinet also approved new mechanisms for contracts for five outsourced hospitals, a special compensation package for martyrs and injured of the Pak-India war, and a Rs 1 million civilian victim compensation package for Shaheed Noor Rahman, son of former member of the United Ulema Board, Shaheed Mufti Fazl Rahman.
Amendments to the Rules of Business of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission were also approved. During the press conference, Shafi Jan strongly condemned the extrajudicial killing of two citizens of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while in the custody of Punjab Police in Gujranwala and said the cabinet had ordered an inquiry into the incident.