HRCP warns of worsening security situation in K-P

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security and human rights situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, highlighting a growing climate of fear, lawlessness, and erosion of civilian authority in the province.

In its latest fact-finding report titled Caught in the Crossfire, HRCP reveals that nearly two-thirds of all terrorist attacks reported in Pakistan during 2025 occurred in K-P, primarily targeting security forces and law enforcement agencies.

The report notes that the merged districts remain the epicenter of violence, where civilians continue to bear the brunt of insecurity, forced displacement, and limited access to justice.

The fact-finding mission observed that civilian casualties and intelligence-based operations allegedly conducted without civilian oversight have become routine, while police and local administrators are increasingly excluded from key decisions concerning law and order.

Testimonies from affected communities, according to HRCP, reveal growing frustration over arbitrary detentions, the continued operation of internment centres established under the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Ordinance, 2019, and the persistent practice of enforced disappearances. Journalists reporting on these issues, the report adds, face censorship, threats, and targeted attacks further undermining transparency and freedom of expression. Political activists, tribal elders, and advocates of peace have also been targeted, deepening the sense of insecurity and mistrust.

The report also points to unresolved sectarian and tribal tensions in Kurram, livelihood disruptions due to prolonged road closures, and widespread public concern over the governance of mining and development funds in the province.