Key Takeaways
- KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi visited Dera Ismail Khan to check on victims of a deadly attack.
- Federal ministers accused the KP government of incompetence and a 'soft attitude' towards Afghanistan.
- Information Minister Attaullah Tarar urged the PTI to choose between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi visited Dera Ismail Khan on Sunday to check on victims of a deadly gun-and-bomb attack that killed at least 12 people and injured several others. The attack targeted a police and customs check-post in Darazinda, and militants later fired on an ambulance, killing two rescue workers.
Afridi, who was elected in October 2025, accompanied by his predecessor, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, met with local residents and asked for their input to be incorporated into the national counterterrorism policy. He emphasized the need to take the people of KP into confidence to establish peace.
Federal ministers responded on Monday, slamming the KP government for failing to provide leadership, resources, or power to the security forces. The state minister for interior, Tallal Chaudhry, stated, 'If Pakistan is burning in the fire of terrorism, it is because of KP’s incompetent leadership.'
The information minister, Attaullah Tarar, accused the KP government of having a 'soft attitude' towards Afghanistan and branded the PTI the 'B team' of the banned TTP. Tarar urged the PTI to choose between Pakistan and Afghanistan, adding, 'You will now have to decide if you are with Pakistan or with Afghanistan.'
Afridi, in his response, accused 'some elements' in the federal government of polarizing the country and daring them to make good on the threat to impose governor's rule in KP. He also complained about the non-provision of modern weapons and equipment from the centre despite payments being made.
During a press briefing in Peshawar, the prime minister’s coordinator to KP, Ikhtiar Wali Khan, and MNA Samar Haroon Bilour presented a white paper on the KP government’s 'failure' to equip police with sophisticated weapons. Afridi stressed that merely providing resources to the police would not solve the problem until there was a policy shift.
Afridi highlighted that he had been consistently calling for a change to the 'failed policy' and regretted that federal ministers dismissed his warnings as propaganda and lies. He emphasized the need for a policy shift to address the ongoing terrorism in the province.
The federal government's stance on KP's counterterrorism efforts has become a contentious issue, with Afridi and his government facing criticism for their handling of the situation. The KP government must demonstrate greater responsibility in meeting the governance challenges it faces, according to analysts.
Peace cannot be established without taking the people of KP into confidence.
Sohail Afridi, KP Chief Minister
If Pakistan is burning in the fire of terrorism, it is because of KP’s incompetent leadership.
Tallal Chaudhry, State Minister for Interior
You will now have to decide if you are with Pakistan or with Afghanistan.
Attaullah Tarar, Information Minister
