Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Thursday threatened to dissolve the provincial assembly if he and his finance team are not permitted to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Patron-in-Chief Imran Khan for input on the proposed budget for FY2025-26.
In a video statement, Gandapur claimed there was a “conspiracy” against his government. He noted that the law allows for the governor to declare an economic emergency in any province if it cannot pass a budget within the allotted time. Stressing that under orders of Khan he was barred from passing the budget until the province’s finance team was allowed to meet the party founder for input on the budget, he said he would not permit “them” to oust his government.
Instead, he said, if his finance team is not permitted to meet Khan, who remains incarcerated at Adiala Jail, to discuss the budget, he would dissolve the provincial assembly and launch a nationwide protest movement. This movement, he claimed, would prevent the passage of either the federal budget or any or the provincial budgets. He urged the PTI’s supporters to be ready for nationwide demonstrations, maintaining it was now time to oust the incumbent federal government.
It remains unclear how Gandapur aims to realize his threat, as the PTI lacks the numbers in all assemblies except Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to block the passage of any budget. There is also no indication that the entire finance team of KP would be permitted to meet Khan prior to the passage of the budget, required by June 30.
Under the Constitution, if any assembly fails to pass the budget with the required majority, it is considered a loss of confidence in the respective government. Under such circumstances, the governor can invoke Article 234, advising the president to impose an economic emergency. The governor can also direct the chief minister to seek a vote of confidence, and the president can refer the matter to the National Assembly.