Peshawar, October 7,2026: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday accused Governor Faisal Karim Kundi of holding “unconstitutional” meetings, saying the move amounted to an “attack on democracy,” as tensions between the provincial and federal governments continued to escalate.
Afridi made the remarks while addressing the 60th meeting of the KP cabinet, a day after Governor Kundi chaired a meeting with the provincial chief secretary and inspector general (IG) to discuss the security situation in the province.
The chief minister said the governor, who belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), had “staged a drama” by convening the meeting and described it as unconstitutional.
“The governor convening such a meeting in the presence of a provincial government with a two-thirds majority is unacceptable,” Afridi said, asserting that the provincial assembly, cabinet and government were fully functional.
He termed the governor’s move an “attack on the Constitution and democracy” and alleged that the purpose of such activities was to provoke the provincial government and force it to react.
However, Afridi called on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers to remain peaceful and follow the law and Constitution.
Addressing the chief secretary and IG, he urged them not to comply with any order they considered unconstitutional or illegal unless it was issued by him.
Afridi said the people and administration of KP had made “countless sacrifices” in the fight against terrorism and warned that following unconstitutional orders could harm the province and the country.
He also directed the chief secretary to ensure that the provincial administration did not engage in unconstitutional activities and to take action against those accused of corruption.
Afridi targets PPP over East Pakistan
The chief minister also criticized the PPP, alleging that former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and General Yahya Khan were responsible for the separation of East Pakistan in 1971.
He further accused President Asif Ali Zardari of intending to “make another East Pakistan here,” without providing evidence for the allegation.
“We will not allow any conspiracy to break up Pakistan to succeed,” Afridi said.
He alleged that prioritizing personal interests over national interests had been a practice of the PPP.
The remarks came amid heightened tensions between the federal government and the PTI-led opposition, including over the opposition’s planned long march.
Political tensions have also intensified amid speculation about the possible imposition of governor’s rule in KP. Governor Kundi and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi discussed the issue during a meeting on Sunday.
‘Policy shift is necessary’
Afridi also renewed his criticism of the federal government’s counterterrorism policy and defended his administration’s efforts to strengthen the provincial police and other law enforcement institutions.
He said terrorism had been “imposed on the province again” and claimed that his government had consistently supported the police and people of KP.
The chief minister said he had worked to strengthen the police, Counter-Terrorism Department and Special Branch since taking oath on October 15, 2025.
“The KP police have the most modern weapons and equipment compared with any other police force in Pakistan,” he claimed.
Afridi also accused successive federal governments of treating KP as a “stepchild” and said the former tribal districts, which were merged with KP in 2018, had still not been fully integrated financially.
He claimed that financial rights agreed upon at the time of the merger had yet to be provided.
The chief minister further alleged that federal governments had continuously conducted military operations in KP since 2004 and said displaced families had not received full compensation.
According to Afridi, around Rs100 billion in compensation remained outstanding. He said families whose homes were destroyed, relatives affected and mosques demolished were still waiting for compensation.
He said compensation of Rs400,000 per household had been fixed for tribal families but claimed that the promised amount had not been fully paid.
Afridi also said a monthly amount of between Rs370 million and Rs380 million had been committed for displaced people from North Waziristan at the Baka Khel camp, but claimed the payments were still not being made.
He said the provincial government had provided Rs21 billion for displaced people and maintained that it also had to bear responsibility for losses caused by military operations and collateral damage from drone attacks.
The chief minister demanded that the federal government increase KP’s share under the National Finance Commission (NFC) and pay outstanding dues of around Rs125 billion to the province.
He claimed that KP had sacrificed 80,000 lives and said the province had to simultaneously deal with terrorism and the consequences of federal government policies.
Afridi said the KP government and police were serious about maintaining law and order, adding that using police personnel for purposes unrelated to their duties was counterproductive.
He claimed that peace could be established in the province within 100 days if the recommendations of KP stakeholders were followed.
Questioning why peace had not been restored despite what he described as 14,000 intelligence-based operations and 22 major military operations over 22 years, Afridi called it a failure of federal counterterrorism policy.
He argued that the federal government should change its policy if it was serious about addressing terrorism.
Afridi also rejected claims that KP was not cooperating with the federal government, saying the same counterterrorism approach had failed to establish peace in Balochistan despite cooperation from the provincial government.
“A shift in policy is necessary. KP can establish peace within 100 days,” he reiterated.
The chief minister also criticized Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over her remarks concerning security threats to Punjab.
Asif accuses KP government of neglecting terrorism
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif sharply criticized the PTI-led KP government over its handling of the security situation.
“Enough is enough!!!” Asif said in a post on X, accusing the provincial government of being detached from the issue of terrorism while pursuing its political long march.
The defence minister referred to Tuesday’s attacks in Dera Ismail Khan in which five people, including customs officials, were killed.
He accused the KP chief minister and provincial cabinet of failing to condemn the killings, offer condolences to the victims’ families or attend their funerals.
Asif also criticized Afridi for convening a cabinet meeting to reprimand the provincial IG and chief secretary over their participation in the governor’s security meeting.
He alleged that the KP government had abandoned the province’s people in the face of terrorism and accused it of being in “complete collusion” with terrorists.
Asif said the federal government had evidence concerning what he described as a “facilitator ecosystem” and argued that the situation could no longer be tolerated.
He also compared the current situation with the PML-N’s conduct when its leaders faced arrests and legal proceedings under the previous government, saying his party had pursued its political battle through constitutional and legal forums.
The defence minister said the time had come for “crucial decisions” and maintained that KP could not be left at the mercy of what he described as “incompetent, insensitive rulers and Taliban allies.”
“An entire province cannot be held hostage. Enough is enough,” Asif said.
