- KP CM warns against ‘collateral damage,’ urges immediate NFC meeting to address provincial dues
- Says province gave sacrifices for Pakistan, calls for peace through dialogue not war
- Cautions against unilateral security plans in tribal districts, ruling out any operation without KP’s consent
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday demanded that the federal government immediately convene a meeting of the National Finance Commission (NFC), claiming that the Centre owed the province Rs550 billion in overdue funds.
Addressing a large jirga in the province’s Khyber district, the chief minister said the province had borne the brunt of Pakistan’s prolonged battle against terrorism and would no longer accept decisions taken “behind closed doors” without provincial consultation.
“After 9/11, Pakistan entered a foreign war without our consent. Our homes, markets and mosques were destroyed—yet we gave sacrifices for Pakistan,” Afridi told participants. “We were made scapegoats then, and we will not allow that to happen again.”
”خیبر امن جرگہ“ کے فضائی مناظر
وزیراعلی خیبر پختونخوا @SohailAfridiISF کی زیر صدارت ضلع خیبر میں امن جرگہ جاری ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/50DRBijpy9— Chief Minister KP (@KPChiefMinister) October 25, 2025
Afridi warned that any new military operation in the province’s tribal districts would face strong resistance from local communities. He said the people of KP stood with the state in maintaining peace but would “never support collateral damage.”
“If any innocent life is lost this time, there will be accountability,” he said, urging that all future security and development decisions regarding the tribal belt must involve the provincial government and elected parliamentarians.
The chief minister’s remarks come amid renewed speculation of a fresh counterterrorism offensive in parts of KP and Balochistan following a surge in militant attacks.
PTI leadership meeting in Peshawar
Earlier in the day, Afridi chaired a meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) senior leadership at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, according to a statement issued by the CM’s press secretary, Sahibzada Hassan.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Provincial President Junaid Akbar, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and other party leaders attended the session, which reviewed the province’s law and order situation in detail.
وزیرِ اعلیٰ ہاؤس پشاور میں پاکستان تحریکِ انصاف کی سینئر قیادت کا اہم اجلاس
اجلاس میں صوبے کی امن و امان کی صورتحال پر تفصیلی غور
حالیہ ہنگو بم دھماکے کے واقعے پر شرکاء کا اظہارِ افسوس اور شہید پولیس اہلکاروں کے ایصالِ ثواب کے لیے دعا،
اجلاس میں خیبر پختونخوا اسمبلی میں امن… pic.twitter.com/2we5PTi9AL
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 25, 2025
It was decided that a “peace jirga” would soon be convened at the KP Assembly, bringing together former chief ministers, governors, religious scholars, tribal elders, civil society members, lawyers, and other stakeholders to evolve a unified strategy for sustainable peace.
“The provincial government stands firmly by its police force,” Afridi said, pledging modern equipment, advanced training and enhanced resources for the force.
Rising terror threat
Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terrorist incidents, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended a ceasefire with the state in late 2022. The group has since intensified attacks on security forces and law enforcement personnel.
Afridi recently blamed the federal government’s flawed policies for the renewed wave of militancy. While Islamabad has ruled out a large-scale military operation, targeted actions are continuing in parts of Kurram and Bajaur districts under the National Action Plan.
