ISLAMABAD: Senior politician and former senator Zahid Khan has alleged that the current Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government does not have independent decision-making authority, claiming that its political direction is influenced from Kabul and that the alleged influence ultimately extends to New Delhi.
In a statement, Zahid Khan said expecting meaningful political or constitutional negotiations with actors allegedly operating under such external influence would be nothing more than a waste of time.
Commenting on the recent talks between the government and the opposition, he said the federal government and its allies had demonstrated considerable flexibility by participating in a 12-hour-long negotiation session.
According to Zahid Khan, the current Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) negotiating committee was also keen to reach a positive outcome, and its demands had been accepted during the talks. Despite this, he said, the negotiations ultimately failed.
Zahid Khan described the political situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as deeply troubling, saying the province was facing a serious crisis.
He criticised the provincial leadership, alleging that those currently in power lacked an independent political direction and did not have an autonomous policy framework for running the province.
