Peshawar security fears grow as treasury lawmakers flag militancy, drones

PESHAWAR: Treasury lawmakers in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday voiced concern over what they described as a worsening law and order situation, militant activity and suspected drone strikes in areas falling within the limits of the provincial capital.

Speaking during a sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker Suriyya Bibi, treasury MPA Shair Ali Afridi said a suspected drone strike had taken place earlier in the day in Peshawar’s Hassankhel subdivision and that a mosque was the target. "Today, a [suspected] drone strike took place in Peshawar’s Hassankhel subdivision, with Jamia Masjid being the target. Only a few days ago, a similar incident took place, raising serious questions about the security agencies’ [performance]."

Afridi said Hassankhel bordered Nowshera and Kohat districts rather than Afghanistan or Iran, and said such strikes had left several residents injured. He also objected to repeated curfews, saying restrictions on movement were creating difficulties for the public and preventing children from appearing in examinations.

The lawmaker also questioned the broader security situation in other parts of the province and asked the chair to have the relevant house committee take up the matter and present recommendations.

Another treasury member, Abdul Ghani, said the assembly had already adopted two resolutions opposing military operations in Khyber district. He said he and other lawmakers had repeatedly warned about the presence of militants in the area, but senior security officials had continued to downplay those concerns by saying the number of militants was small.

"Today, Tirah residents have left their homes due to the poor law and order situation. Their properties are being occupied, trees cut down and checkposts established," he added.

Ghani said those described as only a few militants were moving openly and even filming videos on main roads, making their presence visible in the area. He added that militants had also started making videos and checking people in the Akakhel area of Khyber district, which, he said, had created fears of a deteriorating security situation.

Power, connectivity and minority concerns also raised

Opposition PPP MPA Ahmad Karim Kundi said funds had been allocated for the repair of power transformers in his constituency, but 13 of the repaired transformers did not belong to his area. He said Rs1 billion had been released across the province for transformer repairs, but no explanation had been given regarding the mechanism used for disbursing the funds.

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Shafi Jan told the house that the issue fell under the federal government because it collected electricity bills, but said the provincial government still bore the repair expenses.

Treasury lawmaker Anwar Khan said most people in his constituency worked abroad and faced serious difficulty contacting their families because of poor mobile service. He said the constituency was located near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, making communication especially difficult in critical situations.

MPA Liaqat Khan said the absence of cellular tower coverage in his area was also affecting students, who were unable to attend online classes. The deputy speaker observed that people in her constituency were facing similar problems and asked lawmakers to discuss the matter in a meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

Minority MPA Askar Parvez Khan said a Christian graveyard in Abbottabad district’s Thanda Maira area was under threat from land grabbers and that complaints by the Christian community had not been addressed by the authorities. He added that similar issues had also been reported in Peshawar and Kohat.

In response, Shafi Jan said the Thanda Maira graveyard had not been officially notified and therefore did not fall under the control of the Auqaf department. He said, however, that the department had written to the district administration to examine the matter. He added that a boundary wall would be built around the cemetery through funds in the next annual development programme.

MPA Pir Musawwir said low-cost electricity was generated through hydel projects in Malakand, but the federal government still controlled supply and shut feeders for hours. He said those who did not pay electricity bills should be arrested and that no one would support them.

During the sitting, the house also passed the KP University Amendment Bill, 2026, as reported by the relevant committee. The bill was moved by Public Health Engineering Minister Fazal Shakoor Khan. The chair later adjourned proceedings until 2pm on Tuesday.