PESHAWAR; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday claimed that the federal government owed the province Rs550 billion and urged for the immediate convening of the National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting.
Addressing a jirga in Khyber district, Afridi said the province had long suffered due to national decisions made without local consultation.
Referring to the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Afridi stated that Pakistan had entered a foreign war “without the consent of its people.” He lamented that drone strikes and military operations devastated the tribal areas, destroying homes, markets, and mosques, while the local population “was made a scapegoat.”
The chief minister firmly opposed any new military operation in the tribal districts, warning that the people would not accept being turned into scapegoats again. He noted that despite claims in 2018 that the Khyber and other tribal areas were cleared of militants, “preparations are again being made for new military operations.”
Afridi emphasized that while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa supports the state’s efforts for peace, it will not tolerate collateral damage. “If any innocent life is lost this time, there will be accountability,” he warned.
He further demanded that all future decisions regarding the region must include the provincial government and KP’s elected representatives, rejecting any decisions made “behind closed doors.”
Earlier, PTI’s senior leadership held a meeting at the CM House in Peshawar, chaired by Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and attended by Afridi, Provincial President Junaid Akbar, Asad Qaiser, and other party leaders.
The meeting discussed the province’s deteriorating law and order situation and agreed to convene a grand peace jirga in the KP Assembly. Former chief ministers, governors, scholars, civil society representatives, and tribal elders would be invited to form a joint strategy for lasting peace.
According to the statement issued by the CM’s office, the participants praised the sacrifices of the police and reaffirmed their support for law enforcement agencies. Afridi said providing modern equipment, training, and resources to the police was a top priority of the provincial government.
Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorist incidents, particularly in KP and Balochistan, following the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s decision to end its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. CM Afridi recently blamed the federal government’s “flawed policies” for the resurgence of militancy in the province.
While the PTI-led government in KP continues to oppose new military operations—arguing they cause mass displacement—the federal government maintains that only targeted counterterrorism operations are being conducted under the National Action Plan.
Currently, fears of an upcoming operation loom in Kurram district, with locals reportedly fleeing their homes, while targeted actions are planned in Bajaur’s War Mamund tehsil.
