CM Afridi strikes defiant tone as federal ministers rail against KP govt's counter-terror fight

CM Afridi strikes defiant tone as federal ministers rail against KP govt's counter-terror fight.

Key points

• News Desk Published September 28, 2026 Updated September 28, 2026 08: 31pm.
• Afridi, who was elected as the KP CM in October 2025, has repeatedly voiced his opposition to the federal government's policies on counterterrorism and Afghanistan.
• In his media talk at Peshawar Press Club, Muqam remarked "all conditions" required by the law for imposing governor's rule existed.
• Separately, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi held a session with Muqam to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in the province and political developments, state-run APP noted.
• The chief minister highlighted that he had been consistently calling for a change to the "failed policy of 22 years".

News Desk Published September 28, 2026 Updated September 28, 2026 08: 31pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday struck a defiant tone and again panned the Centre's counterterrorism policy as federal ministers railed against his government's efforts to combat terrorism.

Earlier in the day, Kashmir affairs and frontier regions minister Amir Muqam held a press conference in Peshawar, where he slammed the PTI and Afridi for focusing on the party's planned long march rather than the security challenges that KP was facing.

Afterwards, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, during a press briefing in Islamabad, highlighted flaws in the KP government's "leadership" and apply of resources to fight terrorism.

This was followed by another press conference in Peshawar, where the prime minister's coordinator to KP, Ikhtiar Wali Khan, and MNA Samar Haroon Bilour presented a white paper on the KP government's "failure" to equip police with sophisticated weapons.

Meanwhile, addressing a session regarding law and order in Peshawar, the KP CM stressed that merely providing resources to the police would not solve the challenge until there was a policy shift.

"We repeatedly stated that the state's current policy was flawed. The blood of our Pakhtuns will flow again, " Afridi said, regretting that federal ministers "dismissed our repeated warnings as propaganda and lies".

Notably, the chief minister highlighted that he had been consistently calling for a change to the "failed policy of 22 years".

In practice, the PTI leader declared he would not back down from his stance over threats of imposition of governor's rule or a state of emergency.

Afridi pressed a new counterterrorism policy to be formulated that took all stakeholders into confidence, including the provincial administration, administration and police.

He contended that if the new policy was implemented as proposed, peace could be restored in KP within 100 days – "yet no one is willing to listen".

"Some people act as if they know it all and are unwilling to listen to the stakeholders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, " he remarked. "Where is the country being led? Is the blood of our individuals so cheap that it should be sacrificed for the sake of politics?"

CM Afridi additionally defended his government's performance, recalling that it had diverted Rs35 billion from the development budget to the police force, doubling its allocation.

He continued that the Special Branch was being stabilised and modern weaponry and essential gear were being provided to the police force.

Meanwhile, the KP CM went on to accuse the federal administration of adopting a "dual-standard policy": "one for the favourites and another for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa", terming this unacceptable.

He again expressed concern over Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's comments that the other three provinces posed a threat rather than India, noting that she was contradicting the state's stance that New Delhi had a role in sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan.

"Federal ministers label the residents of KP as terrorists and savages; they are forgiven because they are favourites. No action is taken against them, " the PTI leader remarked. Azam Tarar notes governor's rule or emergency can happen.

Meanwhile, calls from federal representatives for imposing governor's rule or an emergency in KP intensified, with Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar saying that such a move could be created if required.

"If such conditions, where the constitution demands governor's rule to be implemented or an emergency declared, are there or they arise, it can and will definitely happen, " he informed Geo News.

"If the mechanism in the constitution requires it, all these things will happen, " Azam remarked.

Criticising Afridi's governance, Muqam asserted that his "CM-ship would not continue and no one will be able to save him".

"Afridi sahib, be ready, you will be behind bars. You will be held accountable for the loot and plundering you have done, " the minister remarked.

He criticised the PTI's alleged lack of concern regarding the security challenges, contending that the party did not have enough public backing.

Notably, the federal minister described the Afridi-led provincial administration as a complete failure on all fronts, claiming that it had neglected public welfare and that corruption was widespread in KP.

According to Muqam further, PTI leaders were conducting political activities nationwide and did not appear to have any fear of terrorist attacks, even as other parties' leaders faced such threats.

NA Standing Committee on Defence Chairman Fatihullah Khan Miankhel, National Democratic Movement (NDM) chief Mohsin Dawar, PPP Parliamentary Leader in KP Assembly Ahmad Kundi and MPA Sobia Khan were among those present.

Meanwhile, the participants exchanged views on the prevailing security situation, political uncertainty and other problems, and "deliberated on a number of proposals", the APP report stated.

For context, the leaders expressed serious concern over the rising incidents of insecurity in the province and termed the worsening situation a result of what they described as the provincial government's failure to maintain law and order.

Speaking to the media, Kundi cautioned the PTI administration not to "force the Centre" to impose governor's rule and pressed it to further postpone its long march at present set for Oct 4.

According to Kundi, in his opinion, governor's rule could be imposed if the federal administration deemed it necessary "to save the province".

"Fire is raging here, " he remarked while speaking on the province's security situation.

"I advise the provincial government to postpone their long march due to the law and order situation, call all stakeholders and political parties to discuss peace in the province, and fight terrorism on the frontline."

He contended that the PTI wanted to march on Islamabad and "spread chaos" even when terrorist incidents in KP were claiming people's lives. Afridi responds to 'white paper' on KP govt.

In a post on X in the evening, CM Afridi asserted that the KP police and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) were "extremely capable and equipped with modern weapons".

He appeared to be specifically responding to Wali's allegations, sharing a screenshot from the latter's press conference earlier.

According to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, the PML-N's KP chapter issued a white paper on the provincial government's performance.

Taken together, the developments around CM Afridi strikes defiant tone as federal ministers rail against KP govt' s point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.