A treasury-bench member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has publicly accused the brother of the province’s chief minister of meddling in the political and administrative matters of his constituency, escalating tensions within the ruling party.
Abdul Ghani, who represents Khyber tribal district and is known to be close to Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi, said the ongoing interference from Naveed, the chief minister’s brother, was undermining his standing as an elected representative.
Open Letter Details Naveed’s Alleged Interference
In a letter addressed to the chief minister and posted on social media, Ghani laid out what he described as a pressing problem harming his constituency. He said he had raised the matter repeatedly through proper channels before going public, choosing restraint over confrontation for months.
According to the letter, Ghani informed the chief minister about the situation five separate times and briefed Local Government Minister Mena Khan Afridi on four occasions. He said he also approached Naveed directly on multiple occasions and reached out to Naveed’s family members nearly ten times, asking that the interference stop.
Despite these efforts, Ghani said, the KP government interference row remained unresolved.
Claims of Unauthorized Meetings and Directives
The MPA alleged that Naveed routinely held open public gatherings (khuli kutchehry) within his constituency, chairing sessions where he issued instructions to district department heads and cautioned officials against ignoring his directives.
Ghani further claimed that Naveed called meetings with senior government officers of BPS-19 and BPS-20 grades, gave them direct orders, and announced development schemes in the area — all without consulting the elected representative.
He argued that public representatives like himself deserved to be kept informed and involved in decisions affecting their own constituencies.
Political Team Pressured for Public Response
Ghani revealed that members of his political team had voiced strong objections to the situation on several occasions and had pushed for a public news conference to air their grievances. He said he had continually urged calm and stuck to party discipline instead of escalating the matter publicly — until now.
He also stressed his record of loyalty to the chief minister, noting that development projects in his constituency had consistently credited the CM’s leadership, from inauguration plaques to social media posts.
“With due respect, I humbly request you to take immediate notice of this matter and stop any unwarranted interference in the administrative and political affairs of my constituency,” Ghani wrote.
Party Leadership Moves to Contain Fallout
Sources say that after Ghani’s letter surfaced on X (formerly Twitter), senior party figures stepped in to defuse tensions and held talks with him directly. Despite these efforts, Ghani is reportedly still expected to hold a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club to formally address the KP MPA Naveed Afridi interference dispute.
Information Minister Shaji Jan could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts to obtain an official response from the provincial government.
This public rift over the KP MPA Naveed Afridi interference issue highlights growing friction within the ruling party’s ranks, as elected representatives push back against perceived overreach by figures outside formal government roles.
