Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has claimed that the leader of ousted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is currently in Afghanistan, but he did not provide further details regarding the allegation.
Speaking in Pakistan’s parliament, Khawaja Asif criticised the provincial government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), accusing it of prioritising political interests over an effective fight against terrorism.
He emphasised that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bears the heaviest burden of violence and called for a unified national response to combat terrorism.
The defence minister alleged that Sohail Afridi had been more focused on retaining power than eliminating terrorism. He urged the provincial government to prioritise good governance and public safety.
Khawaja Asif also referred to a statement issued by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which condemned the declaration of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the deployment of Pakistani security forces in certain areas of the province. He called on opposition political groups to clarify their positions on the matter.
Comparing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s progress over the past 13 years with that of Pakistan’s other provinces, Khawaja Asif alleged that foreign actors were interfering in the province’s decision-making processes. He also accused PTI of adopting a double standard in its dealings with the military establishment, naming former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and former intelligence chief General Faiz Hameed.
Earlier, the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had also stated that the province’s policies should be determined in Islamabad rather than in Kabul, Jalalabad or Kandahar.
Meanwhile, PTI has yet to respond to Khawaja Asif’s latest remarks. However, the party has previously stated on several occasions that insecurity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the result of decisions made behind closed doors.
Writer:Roya Stanikzai
