The PTI-led provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is counting its final days, or so a growing number of critics believe. At the heart of the argument is one issue: whether the KP government stands with the state in the fight against terrorism. Critics say it does not, and the evidence they point to deserves a closer look.
Talks With Fazlur Rehman Fuel Speculation
Some political circles are suggesting that a middle path is being explored. A government delegation has met Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and other meetings between parties and leaders are reportedly taking place behind the scenes.
That reading misses the point, critics say. In their view, the provincial government has crossed a line on one matter that no amount of negotiation can smooth over: its position on the war against terrorism.
The Narrative Under Scrutiny
The core allegation is that the provincial government’s narrative matches the one pushed by the TTP, which Pakistan calls Fitna al Khawarij. Critics say it describes the war on terror as a conflict imposed “for dollars,” argues that military operations should stop because militants are killed in them, and rarely condemns attacks by the TTP or its facilitators, including the Afghan Taliban regime.
Supporters of this view say the record is clear and that thousands of pieces of evidence exist. No specific sources are cited here, so readers should weigh the claim accordingly.
What the Attack Figures Show
The numbers cited in this debate are stark. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reportedly saw 1,018 major terrorist attacks in the first nine months of this year. Police and other law enforcement agencies were the main targets in about 73 percent of them, and 1,959 people were killed.
A separate set of figures covers two years. It lists 6,200 terrorism incidents and 1,200 deaths in the province, plus 37 suicide attacks attributed to Afghan nationals.
Police Left Short of People and Funds
Critics argue that police capacity has been deliberately weakened, leaving officers exposed to militant attacks. They say the provincial police chief has raised the alarm repeatedly.
About 9,000 police posts are said to be vacant. The force has a total strength of 125,000, and 13,000 of those officers are reportedly assigned to VIP duties. The Counter Terrorism Department is described as almost inactive in the merged districts.
Funding is another sore point. KP Police reportedly asked for Rs42 billion to build and strengthen police posts but received only Rs1.2 billion, in instalments. Critics ask how mud-built checkposts can be expected to stop suicide attacks, and they call the shortfall a deliberate failure.
Suhail Afridi and the PTI Leadership
The final question is political. Critics ask whether these facts are enough to question why PTI has allegedly facilitated militant elements, and what can be expected on the ground from leaders who they say hold an anti-state narrative.
Their conclusion is that Chief Minister Suhail Afridi and the party leadership are not with the state in this fight. They say the situation is no longer acceptable and that the state has decided no more Pakistani blood will be allowed to flow.