KP CM Afridi says province will resist decisions that undermine peace

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday criticised what he described as decisions being made behind closed doors, saying his government would oppose any step that went against peace in the province and the interests of its people.

He made the remarks during a visit to Bannu following a suicide attack on the Fateh Khel police post in which 15 police personnel were martyred and three others were injured.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister House, Afridi met the families of the martyred police personnel and offered Fateha. The statement said he also visited the hospital to inquire after the injured officials and directed the relevant authorities to ensure they received the best possible medical treatment.

The chief minister, according to the statement, praised the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police for showing bravery and courage in the fight against terrorism.

We have been continuously saying that terrorists are again rearing their heads, but decisions behind closed doors have been imposed on us for the last 78 years.

He said the people of the province would have to stand up for their rights, otherwise the imposed circumstances would continue. Afridi said such imposed policies had pushed the province into what he called a quagmire of unrest.

We have made immense sacrifices [in the fight] against terrorism. Further unrest is unacceptable.

He said the provincial government and the police would continue to fight terrorism together and added that the administration would resist every decision that ran contrary to peace in the province and the public interest.

Afridi also said the sacrifices of the martyred personnel would not go in vain, adding that restoring peace in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa remained the government’s foremost priority.

Visit follows deadly attack in Bannu

The visit came after the attack on the Fateh Khel police post, which left 15 police personnel dead and three injured. During his engagements in Bannu, the chief minister met bereaved families and visited the wounded personnel in hospital, according to the CM House statement.

The statement said Afridi instructed officials to provide the injured with the best available healthcare facilities. It also quoted him as reaffirming support for the police force amid the province’s security challenges.

In his remarks, the chief minister linked the province’s security situation to long-standing policy decisions, saying Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had repeatedly borne the cost of unrest despite major sacrifices in the campaign against militancy.

He maintained that the provincial government would stand with the police in confronting terrorism and would oppose any move that, in its view, harmed peace or the interests of the people of the province.