Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa CM meets Pak PM Shehbaz

Islamabad: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday and discussed cooperation to address the challenges faced by the restive province, bordering Afghanistan.

The maiden meeting between the two leaders was expected to remove mistrust and pave way for cooperation.

Afridi was handpicked by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s jailed founder Imran Khan to mobilise the party’s street protests to put pressure on the federal government to release PTI leaders, including the former premier. Since his appointment in October, Afridi adopted an aggressive policy towards the federal government while spurning offers of talks. However, in a change of heart, he met the prime minister and discussed various issues related to the province’s finances and counterterrorism.

According to state broadcaster PTV News, the prime minister stressed the need for cooperation between the Centre and the provincial government for the progress and prosperity of KP’s people.

“Close and effective communication between the Centre and the provinces is indispensable for national progress and public service,” the premier was quoted as saying.