CM Afridi calls for policy shift to restore peace in KP within 100 days

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi has reiterated his concerns over the policy of addressing terrorism and restoring peace through closed-door decision-making, saying that the people and police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with the armed forces, have made immense sacrifices for peace.
More than 80,000 people from the province have laid down their lives for Pakistan, but the peace achieved through two decades of these sacrifices was once again undermined by renewed instability following the regime change operation.
The Chief Minister said that the state and federal government had repeatedly been warned at every stage, from the movement of terrorists into the mountains to their subsequent descent and resettlement.
He said that we had consistently raised our voice against the return and resettlement of terrorists through public meetings, rallies and protests held across different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, he said, repeated warnings were dismissed by federal ministers as propaganda and lies.
Now, the provincial government was taking measures beyond its capacity and available resources to restore peace, with 35 billion given and spent by his government over and about the annual budget last year.
This year a massive increase of 103 percent has been made in the police budget to strengthen the police force and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). However, he said, these efforts were being undermined by an ineffective closed-door policy and a failed strategy. No effort for peace could deliver the desired results unless the existing policy and strategy were changed. “If the policy we are proposing is implemented, peace can be restored in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 100 days,” he said.
The Chief Minister was chairing an important meeting on law and order at the Chief Minister’s House, Peshawar. Provincial Minister for Information, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Home and Tribal Affairs, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Inspector General of Police, Additional Chief Secretary Home, senior officials of the Counter Terrorism Department and other relevant authorities attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the prevailing law and order situation in the province, measures taken for peace and the future course of action. Progress on the ongoing uplift programme of the Counter Terrorism Department was also reviewed.
The Chief Minister specifically sought an update on the establishment of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forensic Science Laboratory and said that its establishment was an urgent requirement. He directed that the equipment required to meet the immediate needs of the police be procured and measures be taken to utilise the existing laboratory for this purpose.
He said that until a formal and fully equipped forensic laboratory was established, the police force must have access to basic and essential forensic facilities.
The Chief Minister also expressed satisfaction with progress on the ongoing programme for strengthening the Counter Terrorism Department and assured that the financial resources required for its completion would be provided on a priority basis.
Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said the provincial government had repeatedly made it clear that the state’s existing policy was flawed and would result in further bloodshed of Pashtuns, but no effort had been made to listen to the province.
“Today, army personnel, police officers, children, women, elderly people and ordinary citizens are being martyred in acts of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but no one seems concerned about the blood and sacrifices of the people of the province,” he said.
He said the people of the province were being subjected to experiments based on a particular mindset, while federal ministers were calling the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa terrorists and savages without facing any action.
“There cannot be one policy for favourites and another policy for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.
Muhammad Sohail Afridi said the statement by the fake Chief Minister of Punjab that the threat was not from India but from the other three provinces of Pakistan was deeply concerning. He said those contradicting the state narrative regarding India should also be questioned. The policy of once again pushing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into the fire of terrorism was unacceptable, he said, adding that policymakers needed to consider where the country was being taken. “Is the blood of our people so cheap that it can be sacrificed at the altar of politics?” he asked.
The Chief Minister said he had been consistently calling since 15 October 2025 for the replacement of the failed policy that had resulted in bloodshed for 22 years. A new policy, he said, should be formulated after taking all stakeholders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the government, administration and police, into confidence.
“Our proposed new policy can bring peace to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 100 days if implemented, but no one is willing to listen,” he said, adding that some people considered themselves the sole authority and were unwilling to hear the views of the province’s stakeholders.
The Chief Minister made it clear that no action contrary to the will of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and their public mandate would be acceptable. “I curse any office that takes me away from my ideology. I will not retreat from my position because of threats of Governor’s Rule or an emergency,” he said.
He called on the federal government to change its policy and introduce a policy shift to protect army personnel, police officers and civilians from further bloodshed. Muhammad Sohail Afridi said that a change in policy was in the interest not only of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but of the entire country.
For lasting peace, he said, ground realities, the people of the province and all relevant stakeholders would have to be taken into confidence, as the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could no longer bear further instability and bloodshed.
The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts and sacrifices of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police for peace and said that the rule of the Constitution and law had become a question mark in the country. However, he said, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had different traditions and believed in the supremacy of the Constitution and law, and the province must continue to act accordingly.
He said the sanctity of the home and the privacy of citizens had never been violated in the province and would not be allowed to be violated in the future.
The Chief Minister directed police authorities to focus exclusively on their professional duties and remain out of political issues. He reiterated that, as Chief Executive, he had never asked the police to go beyond their professional responsibilities and had never authorised any retaliatory action against anyone. “When I have never made such a demand or allowed retaliatory action, no one else has the right to attempt to use our police for such purposes,” he said.
He directed the police force to remain fully alert and not become part of any political conflict. Addressing police officers, the Chief Minister urged them to maintain high morale and assured them that the provincial government stood firmly with them and was meeting the requirements of the police force on a priority basis.