Copyright dailytimes
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday vowed to strengthen the police and provide them with modern equipment to restore peace in the province. The remarks come a week after the newly elected CM blamed the “flawed policy” of the federal government for the resurgence of terrorism being witnessed in the province. Addressing a rally in KP’s Karak district, he said, “We are investing in efforts to increase our police capacity and provide them with modern equipment,” promising to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts in the province. “My purpose is to bring peace to KP in line with the vision of Imran Khan,” he said, announcing plans to invest in establishing a “special branch to enhance intelligence” in the province. He detailed that the KP government had “ordered 70 bulletproof cars for police, out of which they had received 40 so far.” At the rally, the newly-elected CM assailed the federal government for “meting out step-motherly treatment to KP”. “KP has been left behind because of it,” he remarked. He said that during the merger of districts comprising erstwhile Fata into KP, the people of the region were promised Rs100 billion. But, “they never received it”, he claimed. On the matter of the National Finance Commission (NFC), the KP CM expressed disappointment that an NFC meeting still had not been called and vowed to bring up the matter of KP’s share post-Fata merger at the session. At a rally in Khyber the other day, CM KP made similar remarks, claiming that the federal government owed the province Rs550 billion, and called for immediate reconvention of the NFC meeting. CM Afridi further alleged that the Centre was “building a narrative” against him, owing to my middle-class and tribal area background”. “Top ministers have made accusations against me,” he said, reiterating that he was “a soldier of Imran Khan,” and had not said anything unpleasant in return. He recalled that “when I went to Adiala jail to meet Imran Khan, I received a call from the prime minister, who congratulated me and I requested him to arrange a meeting with Khan … to which he said I will ask and then tell.” “Who is he going to ask exactly?” the CM questioned. On the matter of KP’s natural resources, the chief minister said he stood with the people of KP, stressing that “only the people of KP have a right to decide where their resources should go”.
