PESHAWAR: Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi on Tuesday said that the KP Police was fully prepared to counter any threat, as the provincial government continued to strengthen the force in line with the vision of Imran Khan.
Addressing police personnel at Police Lines Peshawar, the chief minister said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police had remained on the frontline against terrorism for the past two decades and had made immense sacrifices. He regretted that, in his view, a certain mindset ruling the country had failed to properly acknowledge these sacrifices.
CM Afridi said the KP government stood firmly with the police force and that all operational and financial requirements were being fulfilled on an emergency basis. He informed the gathering that since assuming office, the provincial government had provided Rs 7.7 billion to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).
He added that a Rs 7.2 billion package had been approved for the Special Branch, while both the CTD and Special Branch were being further strengthened through new recruitments and infrastructure development across the province.
The chief minister said Rs 6.5 billion had been released to improve security infrastructure and enhance police capacity in the merged districts. He also announced the approval of an additional Rs 3.8 billion grant for the Safe Cities Project, stating that the initiative was being expanded from Peshawar to divisional headquarters and merged districts.
Expressing confidence, CM Afridi said the province would soon be freed from the scourge of terrorism. He remarked that decisions taken behind closed doors and imposed on the province in the past had caused serious damage.
He said that in accordance with Imran Khan’s vision, the KP government had kept the police free from political interference. He alleged that pressure was being exerted on the police in connection with cases related to May 9 and urged those involved to refrain from political pressure and allow the police to function independently.
Referring to a jirga held in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, the chief minister said there was unanimous agreement that military operations alone were not a solution. He stressed the need for a comprehensive and long-term counter-terrorism policy formulated with the consensus of political and religious parties as well as tribal elders.
CM Afridi termed February 8 a day of disrespect to the public mandate, alleging that the mandate had been stolen and that a party with only 17 seats had been installed in government, adding that questioning this was a democratic right.
He also condemned the recent attacks in Balochistan and expressed grief and sympathy with the affected families.
Concluding his address, the chief minister reiterated that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police was fully prepared to deal with any untoward situation.
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