CM Afridi Calls Pen-Down Strike Over Federal Discrimination Against KP

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday announced a pen-down strike for May 6, directing provincial government employees to halt administrative work in protest against what he described as systematic financial and institutional discrimination by the federal government against the province.

CM Afridi accused the Centre of withholding funds owed to KP under the National Finance Commission award and failing to address long-standing grievances related to the province's development budget. The strike call represents one of the sharpest confrontations between Islamabad and the KP administration in recent months.

The move is expected to disrupt routine government operations across the province on Wednesday, affecting departments responsible for public services, administration, and development projects. The strike is symbolic in nature but carries strong political messaging directed at the ruling coalition in Islamabad.

The announcement reflects deepening tensions between PTI-aligned provincial leadership and the federal government, a dynamic that has periodically disrupted centre-province coordination on governance and resource allocation since the 2024 general elections.