Till I am here, people of KP will have the first right to its resources: Kundi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi declared that the people of the province possess the foremost claim to its resources. Speaking at a ceremony in Peshawar, Kundi reassured attendees that no foreign entity would pillage the region, emphasizing that during his tenure as governor, the citizens of KP would have priority over any external interests.

Kundi clarified that a third party from outside KP, whether a foreigner or another Pakistani, could potentially establish a joint venture with the local populace if they were amenable. In his role following the installation of governor's rule and emergency in the province, Kundi expressed that his top priority was the welfare of the people of KP, followed by the protection of the province itself and then Pakistan.

His statements come in response to accusations by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman that the imposition of governor's rule and emergency in KP is motivated by a desire to seize control of its resources. Rehman had also queried the government's stance on mineral resources during a recent session in the National Assembly, where he criticized the central government over the emergency and governor's rule in KP.

Although various rumors have surfaced on social media asserting that KP's minerals might be handed over or sold to the US, Kundi did not cite any specific examples. Instead, he stressed that his primary concern remains the safeguarding of the people of KP, as outlined in his address which also highlighted the province's diverse resources.