PESHAWAR – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has rejected the claims that his province was negligent in security matters, urging the federal government should change its policies instead of blaming provinces for its own alleged failure in promoting law and order situation in the country.
“The federal government says KP is not serious about security matters… it is not our fault, you should change your policies,” the provincial chief executive said while addressing a public gathering in Peshawar.
He further said that they do not “critique policies for the sake of criticism, but also propose solutions,” vowing to cooperate on matters related to Pakistan’s national interest.
The chief minister further emphasised that KP has governance, citing that the public has elected his party for the third consecutive term. He contrasted that the governance wasn’t there where “the IMF [International Monetary Fund] presented its charge sheet”.
“Rs5,300 billion was not brought from anyone’s personal pocket; it is taxpayers’ money,” Afridi said, adding: “The elite mafia and those who control the country have stolen these funds. We will not let them take it.”
For his part, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser highlighted legal and border issues, saying that the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments have made courts subservient, and that the nation will stand against such measures.
He also said Afghanistan-related challenges reflected failures in federal border policy and urged the government to give peace a chance.
Terrorist attacks have seen a sharp increase in Pakistan, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban regime came into power.
A police report noted that KP alone recorded over 600 terror incidents, in which at least 79 police personnel were martyred alongside 138 civilians, during the first eight months of 2025.
