Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) newly appointed Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday warned chief minister KP, Ali Amin Gandapur, against taking over Governor House, promising to take strong action, even resorting to dragging them through the streets if needed.
Kundi of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) promised to work tirelessly for the development of the KP and avoid engaging in political retribution.
On Wednesday, Ali Amin Gandapur threatened to take over Governor House. In response, Kundi urged KP’s chief minister to work for the people with honesty.
Kundi stressed how working together and including everyone is key to making the province better. He brushed off rumours about Governor Raj, saying they’re coming from people who feel threatened politically. The newly appointed governor challenged these people to come forward and try to prove their power, but warned them that they won’t get any backing from the province.
Renowned journalist Saleem Safi shared a TikTok video on Tuesday on X (formerly Twitter) of a newlywed couple in wedding attire running around the Governor House for their wedding photoshoot. He criticised the KP governor for allowing such practices.
گورنر ہاؤس پشاور جہاں ان دنوں جے یوآئی کے سربراہ مولانا فضل الرحمان کے سمدھی حاجی غلام علی براجمان ہیں ، میں ان دنوں فلموں اور گانوں کی شوٹنگ بھی ہوتی ہے ۔ تبدیلی آنہیں رہی ،تبدیلی آگئی ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/Gb6JKclCo2
Safi later shared the response of Governor Haji Ghulam Ali where he was defending the practice as something that has been happening for a long time. The media in-charge to KP Governor Maaz Fida issued a clarification, explaining that governor house has always been open to the public for wedding photo shoots, with the condition that they obtained prior permission. In a post shared by Saleem Safi, the screenshot of the clarification, Fida dismissed the news of any film shooting taking place in the governor house.
He said, “Public’s governor’s public governor house is just as accessible to newly married couples as it is for anyone else”. He said that the video doing rounds on social media is of such a couple that had formally obtained permission for the photoshoot.
Fida added that there used to be a fee for such photo shoots, which was abolished by Ghulam Ali when he became the governor. He said that a specific portion of the governor house is open for such photo shoots and anyone can obtain the facility.
Safi counter-criticized the Governor’s statement by saying that if this is the case then would couples from lower strata of society be allowed to have their photoshoots in there.
گورنر ہاوس پشاور میں ایک جوڑے کی شوٹ سے متعلق میرے ٹویٹ کے جواب میں گورنر حاجی غلام علی کا اپنے ترجمان کے ذریعے وضاحتی بیان۔۔۔ مجھے تحقیق کا درس دینے والے نے خود یہ تحقیق نہیں کی کہ ویڈیو میں نے جاری نہیں کی بلکہ وہ ٹک ٹالک کی ویڈیو ہے جو میں نے شئیر کی۔ یہ ویڈیو جوڑے نے خود یا… pic.twitter.com/99de0ZoNee
The interaction has divided social media where some are defending the practice while others are criticising the fact that romantic photoshoots mar the sanctity of the place.
There’s nothing wrong with it. The governor house is supported by taxpayer money and isn’t anyone’s personal property – it’s a public property. If someone wants to use it for their wedding photoshoot or TikTok videos after paying a token fee, there should be no controversy about… https://t.co/FW6ad6PuwZ
It is important to note that renting out public properties for a nominal fee for photo shoots or events is a common practice, all across the world and in Pakistan as well. In March 2020, the then-Governor Punjab, Chaudhry Sarwar, had also approved renting out the Lahore Governor House estate for commercial activities to generate operational expenditures.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication, Dr Shahbaz Gill took to Twitter to comment on why the Governor House in Murree was not opened for the people stuck in Murree since many started providing assistance to the ones stuck in the snow-covered area, where at least 22 people were killed.
Gill tweeted, “Some people are criticising that there is a Governor House in Murree, why it has not been opened?”
کچھ لوگ تنقید کر رہے ہیں کہ مری میں گورنر ہاؤس ہے۔اس کو کیوں نہیں کھولا گیا۔میں ابھی تھوڑی دیر پہلے اسی گورنر ہاؤس میں سونے کے کئے داخلے کی ناکام کوشش کر کے واپس آیا ہوں۔وہاں 10فٹ برف ہے اور اندر جانے کا کوئی راستہ نہیں ہے۔پیدل چلنے کی کوشش کی تو پوری پوری ٹانگ برف میں دھنس گئی
“I have just returned from a failed attempt to enter the Governor House,” tweeted Gill, adding, “there is 10 feet snow and there is no way to get inside. When I tried to walk, my whole leg sank in the snow.”
Gill’s statement of his leg sinking into ten feet of snow caught the attention of netizens. Twitterati schooled Gill that it was impossible for a human to walk through ten feet of snow, as the entire body sinks in that much snow.
کیا فرمایا؟ 10 فٹ برف؟ اتنی برف میں ٹانکیں نہیں گردن بھی دھنس جاتی ہے یہ مبالغہ آرائی کا موقع نہیں ہے تھوڑا کم کر لیں 3 یا 4 فٹ کہنا مناسب ہے ورنہ کل کو آپ یہ بھی کہیں گے کہ یہ برف باری پچھلی حکومتوں کے دور سے جاری تھی اس لئے آپکی حکومت برف ہٹانے میں کامیاب نہ ہو سکی https://t.co/HnzAiEvve9
10 فٹ برف میں تو پورا انسان ہی غائب ہوجائے اور شہباز گِل کی صرف ٹانگیں پھنسیں ♂️ ۔۔۔ جھوٹ بھی معمولی نہیں اتنا بڑا بولو کہ جھوٹ ہی شرما جائے ۔۔ شاباش شہباز گِل شاباش https://t.co/AQx5C1Eekj
10 فٹ برف میں تو انسان سر سے پاؤں تک دھنس جاتا ہے۔ آپ وہاں سے واپس کیسے نکلے؟ اتنے بڑے ملک کے پاس ایک برف ہٹانے کی مشین نہیں ہے آج تک؟ https://t.co/gpzY8T0vhm
After allowing the general public to visit his official residence on recreational tours earlier, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has announced that the Governor House in Lahore will soon open its doors for weddings and commercial events.
Addressing a news conference at the Governor’s House on Wednesday, Sarwar announced that the lawn of the building was available for corporate events at Rs1 million per function while any kind of function could be hosted for Rs500,000 in Darbar Hall. Wedding shoots can be arranged for Rs50,000 and commercial photo-shoots against Rs1 million, while guided tours of the Governor’s House will be organised for groups of 10 persons on Saturdays and Sundays.
“We believe the business plan will help the Governor’s House to reduce its burden on the public kitty. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has made this business plan as its promise and all earnings of these functions will be directly deposited in the government of Pakistan’s account,” The Express Tribune quoted Sarwar as saying.
“The estate will be rented out for commercial events only and no political party will be allowed to host its function at the Governor’s House,” he said and indicated that all events would be booked on the official website of the Governor’s House.
“When someone will send his request to book an event at the website, the Governor’s House staff will contact the person to finalise arrangements. All the payments will be made through bank account and no Governor’s House employee will be authorised to receive payments in cash from the person or company holding the event,” he elaborated while highlighting the procedure for booking.
The Governor’s House website shows that name, CNIC, passport number, nationality, mobile phone number and address is required for booking of events. Events can be booked for two slots from 10 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm for seven days a week. Event booking will be granted subject to approval. Prior approval is required for payment and confirmation will be made accordingly while two functions can be booked for the same date and time.
As per booking terms mentioned on the website, the applicant has to provide a complete list of participants, staff and workers. Administration of Governor’s House will not be responsible for arrangements or installation of any temporary facility.
