Kundi slams K-P chief minister for protests amid worsening law and order

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Tuesday warned that the law and order situation in the province had sharply deteriorated, criticising the chief minister for travelling to other provinces for political protests while the province remained engulfed in violence.

Speaking at a press conference, Kundi urged the provincial government to stop “playing on both sides of the wicket” and fully back state institutions in the fight against terrorism. He said police personnel, soldiers and government employees were being targeted daily across the province.

Referring to recent incidents, the governor cited the killing of police officials in Tank, a district in K-P, a surge in terrorist attacks in Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and other districts, stressing that the situation required urgent attention from the provincial leadership. He recalled that seven police officers were martyred when a police armoured personnel carrier was hit by an improvised explosive device while travelling from Gomal to Tank.

Read: CTD kills six terrorists in targeted operations in K-P

Kundi said military-based operations were underway to restore peace, but questioned whether the provincial government was matching the seriousness required to address the threat. He called for strengthening the operational capacity of the police and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and questioned whether Levies personnel merged into the police force had received adequate training.

Referring to the use of drones to carry explosives in Tank and DI Khan, Kundi said such attacks required technical expertise. “If this terrorism is not being carried out from Afghanistan, then who is doing it?” he asked, adding that instead of demanding evidence elsewhere, the chief minister should seek a detailed briefing from the inspector general of police and security agencies.

The governor said internally displaced persons were arriving from areas such as Kurram and needed to be facilitated properly. He urged political parties and institutions to unite against terrorism, noting that despite reservations, his party had participated in the speaker’s all-parties conference for the sake of peace.

Read More: PTI pulls off Karachi rally despite challenges

Aiming directly at the chief minister, Kundi criticised him for leaving the province to stage protests in other provinces while K-P was “burning.” He also rejected allegations against the Sindh government over traffic congestion during the chief minister’s recent visit to Karachi, saying full protocol and security were provided and no political activity was obstructed.

Kundi warned that the worsening security situation was discouraging investment despite the discovery of oil, gas and mineral resources in southern and merged districts. “How will investors come when even the police are not secure?” he asked.

He also called on the federal government to announce mega development projects for K-P, saying the province had received none over the past two years. He urged the prime minister to visit the province and support institutions operating under difficult conditions.

Lamenting governance over the past 13 years, the governor said K-P lagged behind other provinces in health, education and infrastructure, noting that no international-standard cricket stadium had been built. He added that players from the province still deserved fair representation in the national cricket team.

On politics, Kundi accused the provincial government of indirectly giving space to the banned TTP and warned that Talibanisation could not be tolerated. He described the May 9 riots as the darkest chapter in Pakistan’s political history and said strict punishment was necessary to prevent a repeat, adding that the matter was sub judice and should not be politicised.

He concluded by urging the provincial government to prioritise peace, strengthen institutions, curb corruption and work with the federation to secure borders and stabilise the province.

Safe Cities project

Separately, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi chaired a meeting to review progress on the Safe Cities project, directing authorities to accelerate work and ensure completion within stipulated timelines. According to a briefing, the Peshawar Safe City project will be completed by January 31, 2026, with 711 modern cameras being installed at 133 locations.

The project is being extended to divisional headquarters and merged districts, including Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat, while PC-I documents have been prepared for Karak, Tank and North Waziristan. Surveys for the merged districts had been completed and the entire province would be brought under the Safe City system in a phased manner.