PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi has claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been subjected to discriminatory treatment for the past 78 years, asserting that the province had repeatedly been made the testing ground for policies shaped by external powers.
He expressed these views while addressing a Traders Convention organised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Traders Wing here, where he spoke on the province’s security, governance, economic challenges, and the prevailing political situation.
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Referring to Pakistan’s participation in the United States-led war on terror, he claimed that the decision was not driven by Pakistan’s national interests but by the country’s military leadership, the repercussions of which were disproportionately borne by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He paid tribute to the people of the province and the country’s security forces, stating that nearly 80,000 lives had been sacrificed in the fight against terrorism to restore peace.
Afridi alleged that following the removal of the government of his party, a new policy framework resulted in the resurgence of terrorism. He maintained that his party had consistently warned that militants were regrouping and that peace would once again come under threat, but those warnings were dismissed as propaganda.
He said the PTI had cautioned that renewed terrorism would lead to further loss of life and inflict severe damage on businesses and economic activity, particularly affecting the trading community.
Referring to the prevailing security situation, he said the challenges confronting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had intensified and that similar circumstances had emerged in Balochistan, with their effects now extending beyond the two provinces.
He also expressed concern over violence affecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir, reiterating Pakistan’s longstanding position that Kashmir remains the country’s “jugular vein.” He argued that lasting peace and stability could not be achieved solely through the use of force.
He questioned why, despite 78 years of experience, the country’s governance system had failed to deliver lasting stability, referring to recent public statements by a federal minister regarding the collapse of the system.
He stressed that all state institutions should function within their constitutional mandates, observing that governance is adversely affected when institutions intervene in matters beyond their constitutional remit. He maintained that Pakistan requires leadership that enjoys the confidence of the people and possesses the capacity to steer the country out of its present crisis.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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