- Babar Saleem Swati says KP Assembly’s special 40-member committee needed to be sensitized in in-camera briefing on merged districts operations
- Says special committee examining overall KP security already received briefings from chief secretary, police and Home Dept
- Stresses political, social and developmental measures alongside operations, recalling grand peace jirga adopted roadmap for long-term stability
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati has formally requested the Peshawar Corps Commander to provide an in-camera briefing on ongoing military operations in the province’s merged districts, citing the mandate of a special house committee tasked with examining KP’s overall security situation.
In a letter dated January 8, Swati noted that the KP Assembly had constituted a 40-member special committee on September 8, 2025, comprising the leader of the house, the leader of the opposition, provincial ministers, parliamentary leaders of political parties, and assembly members—a broad-based and representative forum of the house.
اسپیشل سیکورٹی کمیٹی کو بریفنگ کے لیے کور کمانڈر پشاور کو ان کیمرا بریفنگ کے لیے خیبرپختونخوا اسمبلی سیکٹریٹ سے خط جاری#Peace #amanjirga #KhyberPakhtunkhwa #securitycommittee https://t.co/yKNyczG1c3
— Babar Saleem Swati (@BabarSaleemSwat) January 12, 2026
The speaker said the committee had already received detailed briefings from key stakeholders, including the chief secretary, the additional chief secretary of the Home and Tribal Affairs Department, and the provincial police chief, which were considered essential prior to finalising its findings and presenting a report to the Assembly.
Swati added that during the committee’s second meeting, members resolved to engage all political parties and relevant stakeholders across the province. He also highlighted a grand peace jirga held on December 12, 2025, which unanimously adopted a comprehensive declaration outlining a roadmap for long-term peace and stability in KP. The declaration had also been shared with the federal government.
“In continuation of the consultative process, the committee desires to receive a detailed briefing from Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, particularly regarding the ongoing operations conducted by federal and law enforcement agencies in the merged districts,” Swati wrote.
He stressed that while the committee acknowledged the importance of security measures, operations alone—without broader political, social, and developmental initiatives—might not ensure sustainable peace and could risk further unrest. Swati requested that an in-camera briefing be arranged at the KP Assembly on a mutually convenient date and time and expressed appreciation in advance for the Corps Commander’s cooperation in helping the committee discharge its constitutional responsibilities.
However, security sources said the corps commander had not received any such letter and described the direct communique from the KP Assembly speaker as a violation of official protocol.
According to the sources, under the constitutional and administrative framework, the provincial government lacks authority to directly contact the Corps Commander or General Headquarters (GHQ) for formal briefings. “The legal and recognised procedure requires the provincial government to submit such matters in writing to the federal government, which then forwards it to GHQ through the Ministry of Defence, after which formal instructions are issued to the relevant formation,” a source said.
Sources added that bypassing this established procedure violated constitutional order and deviated from institutional norms of civil-military relations. While GHQ maintains day-to-day liaison and routine coordination with the province, an in-camera briefing is not a routine matter and requires federal government approval.
