PESHAWAR -UNS: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has criticised Governor Faisal Karim Kundi for convening a meeting on the province’s security situation, calling the move unconstitutional and accusing him of attempting to create tensions between state institutions.
Speaking at the 60th meeting of the KP cabinet in Peshawar on Wednesday, Afridi said the provincial government, cabinet and assembly were fully functional and maintained that matters concerning provincial affairs should be handled through the elected government.
He said the PTI-led provincial government enjoyed a two-thirds majority and urged senior officials, including the chief secretary and inspector general of police, not to comply with any orders they considered unlawful or unconstitutional.
Afridi, however, called on PTI workers and supporters to remain peaceful and abide by the law and Constitution.
The chief minister also called for a change in the federal government’s counterterrorism policy, saying the existing approach had failed to eliminate the security threat in the province.
He said his government was taking steps to strengthen the police, Counter-Terrorism Department and Special Branch, while alleging that successive federal governments had not adequately addressed KP’s security and financial concerns.
Afridi also raised the issue of compensation for families affected by military operations and displacement, claiming that substantial payments remained outstanding. He said the provincial government had allocated billions of rupees to support displaced people.
The chief minister further demanded an increase in KP’s share under the National Finance Commission Award and the release of outstanding funds owed to the province.
He said terrorism continued to pose a serious challenge in KP despite years of intelligence-based and military operations, calling for a reassessment of the country’s counterterrorism strategy.
