ISLAMABAD: Senior leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday strongly criticised the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments over alleged deforestation, issuance of ordinances sans presidential consent, mishandling of PIA privatisation, and lack of transparency in key policy decisions. Addressing at a press conference, PPP Secretary General Humayun Khan said that forests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been destroyed over the past 13 years, calling it an environmental disaster. He questioned the issuance of an ordinance without the approval of the President, demanding action against those responsible. “Issuing an ordinance without the president’s consent is unconstitutional and those involved should be held accountable,” he said. Humayun Khan remarked that President Asif Ali Zardari was the founder of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and that the PPP was part of the ruling coalition solely to safeguard democracy. He urged the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to focus on improving governance and law and order in his province rather than engaging in confrontational politics. Referring to recent tensions between Sindh and KP leadership, he said the Sindh Chief Minister had raised concerns over the KP chief minister’s conduct. He added that the Sindh government, in keeping with tradition, welcomed the KP chief minister with a cap and Ajrak and provided full hospitality, but termed the subsequent behavior as inappropriate. He strongly condemned the reported blocking of roads, saying such actions only worsen public inconvenience. PPP Central Secretary Information Shazia Marri said that public-private partnership projects must operate under a proper framework. She said the public-private partnership model in Sindh had proven successful and had been acknowledged repeatedly by the federal finance minister. She advised the federal government to adopt similar models instead of pushing for hasty privatisation. Criticising the privatisation of PIA, Shazia Marri said the government failed to protect the airline’s employees and assets. She blamed the Open Skies Policy for causing massive losses to PIA and alleged that a former minister alone inflicted losses worth Rs 600 billion on the national carrier without facing any accountability. She demanded a transparent investigation into the matter. She said PIA’s decline was gradual and not a one-day phenomenon. She urged the government to consider public-private partnerships for institutions it could not manage directly. She reiterated that the PPP’s stance on privatisation was clear and responsible. Raising environmental concerns, Shazia Marri said nearly 30,000 trees had been cut in Islamabad without adequately taking the public into confidence. She said the matter had been raised in Parliament, but the responses from the interior minister had raised further questions about transparency. She also criticised the plantation of unsuitable trees, including date palms, calling it poor planning. She alleged that people were being displaced due to these projects and said providing housing was the state’s responsibility. PPP MNA Sehar Kamran said the party consistently raised public issues in Parliament, including concerns over PIA privatisation, employees’ rights, and farmers’ problems. She said the party had openly questioned the transparency of PIA’s privatisation process and had always raised its voice for the rights of employees, farmers, and other marginalised segments of society. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026