ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday (Oct 20) claimed that the resurgence of terrorism being witnessed in the province was due to the “flawed policy” of the federal government.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which has been in power in KP since 2013, opposes military operations, which are also resisted by tribal people as they often lead to displacements.
Although the federal government in August ruled out a new offensive, it continues counterterrorism operations under the National Action Plan. A military operation looms over the Kurram district, where people have started leaving their homes, while a targeted action is planned in Bajaur’s War Mamund tehsil.
In his first official high-level meeting since he assumed the role of the KP CM on October 15, Afridi presented an “important policy directives and announcements”, a post on his office’s X account said.
“Terrorism has returned to the province due to the federal government’s wrong policy,” the post quoted CM Afridi as saying.
He further claimed that the federal government was neither giving KP funds allocated under the country’s ongoing war against terrorism, nor “other Constitutional rights”.
“The Centre should realise our sacrifices and release our funds on time. We can only strengthen our police and combat terrorism once we get our funds,” the chief minister said, lauding the KP police’s “unparalleled sacrifices” to eradicate terrorism.
“The bulletproof cars provided by the interior minister (Mohsin Naqvi) are defective and old. This is a mockery of KP Police. These vehicles should be recalled,” Afridi said.
Affirming that law and order were the provincial government’s top priority, he vowed there would be no compromise on it.
“The police would not face a shortage of funds. All required resources will be provided on a priority basis. The police will be equipped with modern equipment and arms.”
CM Afridi also vowed that “no political individual” will be detained in KP under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, which gives authorities the power to arrest and detain suspected individuals to prevent “any person from acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety” or to maintain public order.
In a petition to the Supreme Court last year, PTI founder Imran Khan sought a bar on “indiscriminate and unlawful use of detention orders” under the MPO against political workers, rights activists and political opponents.
“Freedom of expression and constructive criticism is a fundamental Constitutional right of everyone,” Afridi was quoted as saying in the post.
He further said that no one will be arrested under a “political” first information report (FIR).
“These FIRs were registered due to political vendetta. The province has its own specific political culture; we will not let it be ruined. The [KP] police will never subject anyone to political vendettas. No FIR should be registered against any student,” said Afridi, who has remained the provincial president of the PTI’s student wing, the Insaf Students Federation (ISF).
“The situation of KP Police should under no circumstances be like that of Punjab Police,” the chief minister quipped, ordering strictly that there should be no torture of prisoners.
While vowing there would be no political interference in the police, the KP CM also warned that there should be no public complaints against it. - Dawn/ANN
