“We cannot carry any more funerals,” says Sohail Afridi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has described the recent wave of terrorism in the province as a serious threat to the entire country, calling for an urgent review of the existing security policy.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has described the recent wave of terrorism in the province as a serious threat to the entire country, calling for an urgent review of the existing security policy.

In a video message, Afridi strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Dera Ismail Khan and expressed grief over the deaths of young people and civilians. He said this was not an isolated incident and that people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had continued to lose their lives amid a renewed wave of terrorism.

Afridi said he had previously raised concerns when a policy for resettling militants was being developed. According to him, he and others had warned that such decisions could eventually result in more deaths. He said decisions made behind closed doors could have consequences for the entire country.

The chief minister said soldiers, police officers and civilians were being killed in the fight against terrorism. He argued that a security policy implemented for more than two decades had failed to establish lasting peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and called for a change in strategy.

Afridi said the provincial government had taken several measures to strengthen the police. He claimed that Rs35 billion had been provided outside the police budget during fiscal year 2025-26, while additional funds were allocated for modern weapons, equipment and infrastructure. He also said the police budget for 2026-27 had been increased to Rs191 billion, representing a 103 percent rise.

He stressed that police officers, soldiers and civilians were all part of the same society and said further bloodshed must be stopped.

Afridi also called for implementation of the provincial action plan submitted to the federal government saying the province had expressed its ability to work toward restoring peace within 100 days.

He warned that if terrorism was not contained, its effects would not remain limited to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but could spread across Pakistan.

The chief minister further criticized statements by federal ministers that he said could increase political divisions and tensions between provinces. He called for responsible political discourse and urged the authorities to reconsider their priorities while Pakistan faces both security and economic challenges.