• Kundi calls for decisive action against terrorists, stronger police capacity
• Says Centre ready to provide weapons, financial resources to KP police
• Insists peace essential for development, investment in province
CHARSADDA / PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday ruled out negotiations or concessions for elements who do not accept the Constitution, stressing that decisive action against terrorism and strengthening the province’s police was the only way to restoring peace.
Speaking to journalists after visiting the families of CTD DSP Imranuddin Khan and Constable Kazim Jan in Charsadda, Mr Kundi said elements working against the state should not be offered concessions.
He said the Pakistan Army, police and other security agencies had rendered immense sacrifices for the country’s security and stressed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must be freed from terrorism.
Referring to a recent meeting of the National Apex Committee, the governor said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had made it clear that a policy of zero tolerance would be adopted against terrorism.
He said decisive action against terrorists was necessary to restore lasting peace, adding that the public should distance itself from terrorists and refrain from providing them shelter.
Mr Kundi said police and other law enforcement agencies required modern weapons and equipment to confront terrorists and that he was prepared to divert funds from his development allocation for the purpose.
He added that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had assured him that the federal government was ready to provide the police with the required weapons and financial resources.
Mr Kundi said the compensation package for police personnel martyred in the line of duty had been enhanced and that police salaries were also being increased.
Asked about the non-functional chief minister Sohail Afridi, Mr Kundi said Mr Afridi was in safe hands, adding that nobody could predict what would happen in the future.
The governor’s adviser on information, Samar Haroon Bilour, said the police and Counter-Terrorism Department needed modern weapons, secure vehicles, tracking systems and protective equipment to improve their operational capacity.
She said sustained federal support was necessary to strengthen both institutions.
Earlier in the day, DSP Imranuddin and Constable Jan, who were martyred during an operation against terrorists in Karak district on Thursday, were laid to rest in their native villages in Charsadda with police honours.
Mr Kundi claimed that weapons left behind following the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan had fallen into the hands of terrorists. He said Pakistan’s long border with Afghanistan made surveillance difficult in some areas and that terrorists possessed sophisticated weapons.
Federal package
Separately, addressing a news conference at Governor House in Peshawar, Mr Kundi said demands presented by the provincial advisory council at the Apex Committee meeting on Thursday had been accepted by PM Shehbaz.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a package of Rs160 billion for the province. To resolve issues related to gas and wheat, the prime minister directed the secretary of food department to convene a meeting soon,” he said.
According to the governor, the meeting, attended by the prime minister and senior military leadership, focused on security, development and public concerns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Mr Kundi said peace was essential for development and investment in the province. “If there is peace in the province, there will be development and investment will also come from abroad,” he said.
He added that the provincial advisory council would pursue KP’s rights on the basis of facts and said talks had also been held with representatives of the Awami National Party, Jamaat-i-Islami and Qaumi Watan Party chief Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao.
Mr Kundi said political parties needed to unite over the province’s rights.
He also raised the issue of KP’s water share, insisting that the province was not receiving its due allocation under the 1991 water accord. He said the federal government had heard the province’s position and tenders for packages one and four of the Chashma Lift Canal would be issued next month.
Ms Bilour said development priorities discussed with the federal government included road connectivity, educational institutions, information technology hubs and vocational training facilities.
She said improving security and providing young people with better educational and employment opportunities were both necessary for the province’s long-term development.
Mr Kundi said restoring peace, strengthening the police and securing the province’s constitutional and development rights were essential for KP’s future.
Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2026