PESHAWAR(The COW News Digital) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said he will not retreat from his position because of threats of Governor’s Rule or the imposition of an emergency in the province.
Speaking at a meeting on law and order in Peshawar, Afridi said the people, police and armed forces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had made significant sacrifices for peace. He claimed that more than 80,000 people from the province had lost their lives in sacrifices for Pakistan and said that the peace achieved after two decades of struggle had again been undermined by renewed insecurity.
Afridi said the provincial government had repeatedly warned the federal government and state authorities about the return and rehabilitation of militants. He said rallies, demonstrations and public gatherings had also been held in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to raise concerns over the deteriorating security situation.
According to Afridi, however, repeated warnings from the province were dismissed by federal ministers as propaganda and false claims.
The chief minister criticized what he described as the current security policy, saying that the consequences were being felt by people across the province. He claimed that soldiers, police personnel, children, women, elderly people and ordinary citizens were among those affected by terrorism.
Afridi called for a change in the existing policy and said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should not be subjected to what he described as experiments based on a particular mindset.
He also highlighted measures taken by his provincial government to strengthen the police force. According to Afridi, Rs35 billion was redirected from the development budget to provide additional resources to the police, while the police budget was increased by 103 percent during fiscal year 2026.
He said efforts were also underway to increase police strength and operational capacity, strengthen the Special Branch and provide modern weapons and other equipment to law-enforcement personnel.
However, Afridi argued that providing additional resources to the police alone would not resolve the security problem. He called on the federal government to revise its overall security policy and said all relevant stakeholders, including the provincial government, administration and police, should be consulted before a new policy is formulated.
The chief minister said he had been calling for a change in the security policy since October 15, 2025. He proposed what he described as a new approach involving all stakeholders and claimed that implementation of his proposed policy could help restore peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 100 days.
Afridi said his government would not accept any measure taken against the wishes and public mandate of the people of the province.
His remarks came amid growing tensions between the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments over security, governance and political issues. Federal officials have publicly discussed constitutional options, including Governor’s Rule and emergency provisions, if the relevant legal requirements are met.
Afridi, however, maintained that such threats would not change his position. He urged the federal government to reconsider its policy and take steps to protect security personnel and civilians from further violence.
The chief minister said a policy shift would serve not only the interests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but also those of Pakistan as a whole.
