Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday announced the provincial government will stage a “pen-down strike” tomorrow (May 6) over the federal government’s alleged “discrimination” against the province.
In a statement, the chief minister claimed the federal government was discriminating against KP because it was ruled by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). “The federal government is deliberately discriminating against the province in the NFC [National Finance Commission] Award, electricity and gas,” he claimed.
This is not the first time Afridi has accused the center of injustice toward KP. Since assuming office in October 2025, he has repeatedly alleged a delay in release of funds to KP. In recent weeks, he has similarly claimed the province is not being given its due share of natural gas.
According to the chief minister, emergency services would be exempt from the pen-down strike. However, he called on all lawyers “who uphold the Constitution and the law” to participate.
In the same statement, Afridi criticized the government’s refusal to allow Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra, to be treated by their personal physicians for similar eye conditions. “Not allowing Imran Khan to meet his family and lawyers is inhumane and illegal,” he claimed.
At the core of the issue is the KP government’s claim that the federal government is not giving money promised for the erstwhile tribal areas. It is also seeking a revision of the NFC resource distribution formula to secure greater funds for itself.