Kundi seeks Centre's help to fight terrorism

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Tuesday stressed the need for close federal-provincial coordination to combat terrorism in the province, telling Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi that the Centre's cooperation was vital for restoring peace and security in K-P.

According to a statement issued by the interior ministry on social media platform X, Kundi called on the interior minister in Islamabad, where the two discussed security arrangements in K-P's border areas and ongoing operations against Fitna al Khawarij.

The statement said Interior Minister Naqvi assured the governor of the federal government's full support in addressing the security challenges facing the province.

"Establishing peace in K-P is the top priority," he was quoted as saying. He added that the federal government was "prepared to provide support in this regard in every possible way".

Acknowledging the sacrifices made by the province, Naqvi said, "We appreciate the sacrifices made by the people of K-P in the war against terrorism".

"Fitna al Khawarij and their facilitators are being eliminated through joint efforts," he said, adding that "no leniency of any kind will be shown toward the khawariji".

Meanwhile, Governor Kundi reiterated that sustained peace in K-P could not be achieved without strong federal backing.

"Joint and coordinated action is needed to eliminate terrorism," he said.

The meeting followed Kundi's remarks earlier this week in which he urged the K-P government to support military operations in the province, warning that the security situation had significantly deteriorated due to renewed militancy.

Speaking on Sunday at the National Press Club, Kundi said the provincial government must support security operations, stressing that "without stability, development projects could not move forward".

He said insecurity had adversely affected the social and economic conditions of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that "sustained peace was essential for businesses and investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa".

The concerns come amid a sharp escalation in violence nationwide.

According to statistics released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), Pakistan's counterterrorism landscape deteriorated markedly in 2025, with combat-related deaths rising by 73 per cent compared to the previous year.

The report said the year saw not only a steep increase in overall fatalities, but also marked the deadliest year for militants since 2015, the most lethal for security forces since 2011, and the worst for civilian casualties since 2015.