Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi claimed on Saturday that the federal government owes the province Rs550 billion and demanded the immediate convening of a National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting.
Speaking at a jirga in Khyber district, CM Afridi referenced the province’s sacrifices following the September 11, 2001 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people through deadly plane hijackings.
“Pakistan entered a foreign war after 9/11 without our consent,” Afridi stated. “We were told Pakistan needed sacrifices. For Pakistan’s sake, we abandoned our homes. Our areas became sites of drone strikes and military operations.”
The chief minister expressed that the province’s residents felt they had been unfairly targeted. “Our homes, markets, and mosques were destroyed, yet we made these sacrifices for Pakistan,” he told attendees.
Warning Against New Military Operations
Afridi issued a strong warning against launching any new military operations in the province’s tribal districts, insisting that residents “will not be made into scapegoats again.”
He noted that despite security forces declaring Khyber district and other tribal areas cleared of militants in 2018, “preparations are being made for new military operations once again.”
The chief minister clarified that while KP supports the state’s peace efforts, “we will not tolerate collateral damage under any circumstances.”
“If any innocent lives are lost this time, there will be accountability,” Afridi declared. He also insisted that future decisions about the region “must include the provincial government and KP parliamentarians,” rejecting decisions made behind “closed doors.”
PTI Leadership Meeting
Before the jirga, senior PTI leadership gathered at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, according to press secretary Sahibzada Hassan.
The meeting included PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, CM Sohail Afridi, PTI Provincial President Junaid Akbar, Asad Qaiser, and other party leaders. Participants discussed the province’s law and order situation in detail.
The leadership decided to convene a peace jirga at the KP Assembly, inviting former chief ministers, governors, scholars, jirga leaders, civil society members, lawyers, and other prominent figures.
“The peace jirga aims to eliminate terrorism and develop a unified strategy for lasting peace,” the statement explained. Meeting participants honored the sacrifices made by police personnel.
CM Afridi emphasized that “the provincial government stands with the police force,” adding that providing modern equipment, training, and resources to police is a government priority.
Rising Terrorism Concerns
Pakistan has experienced increased terrorist incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) decision to end a fragile ceasefire with the state in November 2022. The TTP has pledged to target security officials, police, and law enforcement personnel.
Earlier this week, Afridi attributed the province’s terrorism resurgence to the federal government’s “flawed policy.”
The PTI, which has governed KP since 2013, opposes military operations that often face resistance from tribal communities due to displacement concerns.
While the federal government ruled out a new offensive in August, it continues counterterrorism operations under the National Action Plan. Military action appears imminent in Kurram district, where residents have begun evacuating, while targeted operations are planned in Bajaur’s War Mamund tehsil.
