Sohail Afridi says can’t accept one policy for ‘favourites’, another for KP

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said there cannot be “one policy for favourites and another for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” when it comes to fighting terrorism.

Afridi made the remarks while presiding over a meeting on the law and order situation in the province, according to KP Information Minister Shafi Jan, who shared details of the meeting on social media.

Earlier on Monday, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had accused the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of failing to provide adequate leadership, resources and authority to security forces and alleged that it was showing a soft stance towards Afghanistan and terrorists.

According to Shafi Jan, the chief minister said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with the police and armed forces, had made countless sacrifices for peace, saying that more than 80,000 people from the province had lost their lives for Pakistan.

He said that the peace achieved through two decades of sacrifices had been undermined by renewed unrest following the regime-change operation.

He said that the state and federal government had repeatedly been warned about the return of militancy, from militants moving into the mountains to their alleged resettlement.

وزیراعلیٰ خیبر پختونخوا @SohailAfridiISF کی زیر صدارت امن و امان سے متعلق اجلاس سے خطاب

• خیبر پختونخوا کے عوام، پولیس اور فوج نے امن کے قیام کے لیے بے شمار قربانیاں دیں، خیبر پختونخوا کے 80 ہزار سے زائد افراد نے پاکستان کے لیے اپنی جانوں کا نذرانہ پیش کیا ہے،

• دو دہائیوں… pic.twitter.com/dlHAH1vyI2

— Shafi Jan (@ShafiJanPTI) September 28, 2026

Afridi said that his government had held rallies, demonstrations and public gatherings in different districts to raise its voice against the return of unrest, but its warnings were dismissed by federal ministers as “propaganda” and “lies”.

“We repeatedly said the state’s current policy was wrong and would once again lead to the spilling of Pashtun blood,” he said, according to Shafi Jan.

The chief minister said the people of KP were being subjected to experiments by a “specific mindset”, while soldiers, police personnel, children, women, elderly people and other civilians were being killed in terrorist attacks.

“Nobody cares about the blood and sacrifices of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Afridi said, adding that federal ministers called the people of the province “terrorists” and “wild”, but no action was taken against them.

“There cannot be one policy for the favourites and another policy for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.

Afridi also criticised a statement attributed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz that the threat was not from India but from the other three provinces, calling it “extremely concerning”.

He questioned those who, he said, contradicted the state narrative regarding India and said any policy aimed at pushing KP back into the “fire of terrorism” was unacceptable.

The chief minister said his government had diverted Rs35 billion from its development budget to the police to support peace efforts and had increased the police budget by 103 per cent in the 2026-27 fiscal year.

He said resources were being provided to strengthen police manpower and capacity, the Special Branch and the supply of modern weapons and other equipment.

However, Afridi said providing resources to the police alone would not resolve the problem and the federal government would have to change its policy.

“I have been saying since October 15, 2025, that the failed policy of 22 years should be changed,” he said, calling for a new policy to be formulated after taking all stakeholders in KP, including the provincial government, administration and police, into confidence.

Afridi said that if his proposed policy was implemented, peace could be restored in KP within 100 days.

“Nobody is ready to listen. Some people consider themselves all-knowing and are unwilling to listen to the stakeholders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.

“Where are we taking the country? Is the blood of our people so cheap that it can be sacrificed at the altar of politics?” he asked, adding that no action contrary to the will and mandate of the people of KP would be acceptable.

Afridi also rejected any pressure to change his position, saying he would not retreat from his stance because of threats of governor’s rule or the imposition of an emergency.

“I curse a chair that takes me away from my ideology,” he said.

The chief minister called on the federal government to change its policy and protect soldiers, police personnel and civilians from further bloodshed, saying a policy shift was in the interest of both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the country as a whole.

His remarks came hours after Tarar and Talal Chaudhry strongly criticised the KP government, accusing it of showing leniency towards terrorism and adopting a soft approach towards Afghanistan.