KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday, October 23, ruled out negotiations or concessions for elements that do not accept the Constitution, saying decisive action against terrorism and a stronger police force were the only route to peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He made the remarks to journalists in Charsadda and later at a news conference at Governor House in Peshawar.
Remarks After Visiting Police Families
Mr. Kundi spoke after visiting the families of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) DSP Imranuddin Khan and Constable Kazim Jan, who were killed on Thursday during an operation against terrorists in Karak district. Both officers were laid to rest with police honours in their native villages in Charsadda earlier in the day.
The governor said the army, police and other security agencies had made immense sacrifices and that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must be freed from terrorism. He said elements working against the state should not be offered concessions and urged the public to distance itself from terrorists and refrain from sheltering them.
Zero Tolerance Policy
Referring to a recent meeting of the National Apex Committee, Mr. Kundi said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had made clear that a policy of zero tolerance would be adopted against terrorism. According to the governor, the meeting, attended by the prime minister and senior military leadership, focused on security, development and public concerns in the province.
Backing for the KP Police
A central theme of the governor’s remarks was the need to equip the KP police and other law enforcement agencies. He said they required modern weapons and equipment, and that he was prepared to divert funds from his own development allocation for that purpose. He added that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had assured him that the federal government was ready to provide weapons and financial resources.
Mr. Kundi said the compensation package for police personnel killed in the line of duty had been enhanced and that police salaries were being increased. The governor’s adviser on information, Samar Haroon Bilour, said the police and the CTD needed modern weapons, secure vehicles, tracking systems and protective equipment, and that sustained federal support was necessary to strengthen both institutions.
The governor also claimed that weapons left behind after the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan had reached terrorists. He said the length of Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan made surveillance difficult in some areas. These assertions were the governor’s own, and the report did not include independent verification.
Federal Package and Development Demands
At the Peshawar news conference, Mr. Kundi said the prime minister had accepted demands presented by the provincial advisory council at the Apex Committee meeting. He said the prime minister announced a Rs160 billion package for the province and directed the food secretary to convene a meeting soon on gas and wheat issues.
Peace, the governor said, was a precondition for growth, and investment from abroad would follow stability. Ms. Bilour said development priorities discussed with the federal government included road connectivity, educational institutions, information technology hubs and vocational training facilities, and that better education and jobs for young people were needed alongside improved security.
Mr. Kundi also raised the province’s water share, saying Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not receiving its due under the 1991 water accord. He said the federal government had heard the province’s position and that tenders for packages one and four of the Chashma Lift Canal would be issued next month. He said he had also held talks with representatives of the Awami National Party, Jamaat-i-Islami and Qaumi Watan Party chief Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, and urged political parties to unite on the province’s rights.
The Political Context
The governor’s remarks come after President Asif Ali Zardari imposed an emergency and governor’s rule in the province on October 11, effectively sidelining the PTI-led provincial government. Asked about the non-functional chief minister, Sohail Afridi, Mr. Kundi said Mr. Afridi was in safe hands and that nobody could predict what would happen in the future. The PTI has opposed the governor’s rule and challenged it in court, according to earlier reporting, and its response to the governor’s latest statements was not part of the Dawn report.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi Rules Out Talks: Outlook
By combining a firm line on talks with promises of resources, the governor has set out the administration’s approach: confront militants, strengthen the police and tie security to development. Whether the pledged weapons, funds and the Rs160 billion package arrive quickly will be a key test of that approach. Mr. Kundi said restoring peace, strengthening the police and securing the province’s constitutional and development rights were essential to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s future.
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