Islamabad, May 7 (IANS) A complete pen-down strike was observed by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial government in Pakistan on Wednesday with Chief Minister Sohail Afridi leading the protest against the federal policies.
This marked the first time in the country’s history that a provincial chief executive had shut down administrative operations to protest federal policies, local media reported.
The day-long strike, which resulted in halting of all non-emergency official work across the province, was called in response to “deliberate and persistent discriminatory treatment” by the federal government, a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat mentioned.
“Specific grievances include an unfair share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, unequal distribution of electricity and gas resources, and what KP officials call a pattern of fiscal and administrative marginalisation,” leading Pakistani daily ‘The Express Tribune’ reported.
During the protest, the offices remained open, but no documents were signed, no files were moved, and only the emergency services functioned, the report detailed.
“This is a peaceful but powerful message to the federation,” the newspaper quoted a government spokesperson as saying. “Our rights are being systematically ignored,” he added.
It also mentioned the provincial government’s growing frustration over the detention conditions of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
The strike was announced earlier this week by Chief Minister Afridi, who urged all provincial departments to suspend routine paperwork and join what he called a “symbolic revolt of the pen”.
There were no reports of major disruptions to public services, and the strike drew mixed reactions, the newspaper reported.
There was no formal response from Federal government officials, but political analysts see the protest as a sharp escalation in centre-province tensions.
The latest protest is likely to deepen the rift between the provincial and federal government, which have long disagreed over administrative authority, fiscal distribution and resource sharing.
–IANS
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