Afridi warns against meddling in governance

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Wednesday that individuals with no legitimate role in public affairs were meddling in provincial politics, stressing that such interference threatened efforts to stabilise a region already scarred by decades of terrorism and institutional strain.

Speaking at a joint gathering of police officers and civil servants in Peshawar, he said the provincial government was urgently supplying bulletproof vehicles, modern weapons and anti-drone systems, while a policy for the families of martyred civil servants was being developed.

"The province is passing through extraordinary circumstances after remaining on the frontline of the war against terrorism for the past four decades," he said. "For the past 21 years, our police force has been confronting terrorist threats despite limited resources," he added.

Afridi praised the security forces for their extraordinary courage, saying the nation remained proud of their sacrifices and insisting that "if the struggle is waged for the cause of Allah and in the wider public interest, eventual success will be assured."

The chief minister declared that peace would be restored in every district regardless of the challenges ahead, adding that decisions taken behind closed doors would no longer be accepted and that governance required full transparency and accountability.

The gathering was attended by senior provincial officials, including the chief secretary, inspector-general of police, additional chief secretaries, and divisional and district administration officers, who offered Fateha for the martyrs of the police and civil administration.