PESHAWAR – Chief Minister Sohail Afridi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) said that officials responsible for collateral damage in the war on terror must face legal action. He stressed that basic human rights will not be violated in the province.
Speaking to the media in Peshawar before meeting the party founder, Afridi announced that the cabinet would release a statement after the meeting. He said all provincial parliament members stand united “like a rock” behind the government. Afridi credited the party’s third consecutive term in power to good governance. He added that people across KP continue to trust the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
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Afridi said his government would continue to deliver as it had done before. He welcomed the ongoing Pakistan-Afghanistan negotiations, which he had earlier described as a positive step in the provincial parliament. However, he criticized federal authorities for excluding KP from the process, even though the province remains a key stakeholder.
The chief minister said Pakistan must protect its own interests. “No country is anyone’s true ally — every nation looks after its own interests,” he noted. Afridi said Pakistan now needs a statesman capable of defending its national interests at this crucial time.
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He added that decisions about KP should not be made behind closed doors. According to him, neither the people nor the provincial government trust secret policymaking. “Peace cannot come through hidden decisions,” he said. Afridi warned against turning KP into a testing ground for repeated security operations.
Questions over continued terrorism
Afridi questioned why terrorism still exists in the province despite 22 major operations and more than 14,000 intelligence-based operations carried out under the war on terror. He said such extensive efforts have failed to bring long-term peace.
The chief minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to transparency, human rights, and accountability for all excesses committed in the name of counterterrorism.
