Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday reaffirmed his commitment to holding regular meetings to address the province’s security challenges and issued a direct challenge to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) marchers to cross Swabi. He dismissed the protest led by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi as a mere “circus.”
Kundi defended his decision to chair a meeting with the chief secretary and police chief to review the province’s law and order situation, responding to Afridi’s criticism that the meeting was unconstitutional. Speaking at a press conference at the Governor House, Kundi emphasized that the meeting was necessary to take responsibility for security matters while the chief minister was preoccupied with the PTI’s long march towards Islamabad.
The remarks come amid escalating tensions between the federal government, the governor, and the PTI-led provincial administration. The PTI’s long march, which began from Lakki Marwat on October 4 demanding the release of its jailed founder Imran Khan, reached Peshawar on October 8 after several days on the road. The march is scheduled to proceed towards Charsadda on Friday evening and then to Swabi on October 11.
Kundi stated he would continue convening security meetings, stressing that the worsening law and order situation in the province required urgent attention despite the ongoing political confrontation. He highlighted the severe shortage of resources faced by the provincial police and described the security threats as significant. He pointed out the disparity between the limited weaponry available to police and the heavily armed attackers they confront.
The governor criticized the PTI government for its reluctance to address terrorism, insisting that the issue could not be ignored. “The PTI does not want to talk about terrorism, but we will talk about it,” he asserted.
Targeting the PTI’s protest march, Kundi challenged the party to prove its strength by crossing Swabi, a critical point on their route, rather than merely claiming they would march on Islamabad. “Their hearts start pounding when they even turn towards Swabi,” he said, questioning the march’s planning and suggesting that many PTI leaders and workers had vanished from the scene. He claimed the campaign lacked the momentum promised by the party leadership.
Previously, Kundi had doubted the PTI’s ability to carry out its planned march and reiterated his challenge for the party to cross Swabi. He labeled the protest a “circus” and urged the PTI provincial leadership, particularly Chief Minister Afridi, to focus on governance and administrative duties. He challenged Afridi to use the powers he claimed to possess to resolve the province’s problems.
Kundi accused Afridi of failing to protect members of his own provincial assembly, questioning how the provincial government could ensure the safety of the broader population if it could not safeguard its own lawmakers. He also criticized the provincial administration for its handling of strikes by teachers and doctors, alleging that the chief minister was neglecting the concerns of public-sector employees.
The governor stated that the provincial government could not effectively run the province without cooperation from the federal government and accused it of failing to communicate its administrative difficulties to Islamabad. “If you cannot even tell the federation about the province’s problems and then complain that nobody listens to you, it means you are incompetent,” he said.
Kundi further alleged that Afridi was more interested in financial gain than governance, expanding his broader criticism of the PTI-led administration.
Responding to threats by PTI supporters to surround the Governor House, Kundi warned that anyone attempting to do so would face firm resistance. “Those threatening to surround the Governor House in Peshawar will have to deal with me,” he said, asserting his readiness to defend the building. He questioned where those issuing threats would go when confronted and accused the PTI of abandoning its own supporters.
The governor reiterated concerns about the provincial government’s handling of security, emphasizing the police’s lack of adequate resources to meet the province’s threats. He urged the provincial administration to operate within constitutional bounds rather than personal preferences.
Kundi also referenced an offer of negotiations by Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, suggesting that Afridi was following advice from party leaders instead of exercising independent political judgment. He compared the PTI’s internal disputes to collaborators who fall out over dividing stolen gains.
Accusing Afridi of lacking a plan to tackle terrorism, Kundi warned that the chief minister’s policies could leave the province vulnerable. “If you have no plan for the province, why do you complain about decisions being made behind closed doors?” he questioned, asserting that he would not allow the province to be handed over to terrorists. “Do the people of my province not deserve peace?” he asked, emphasizing that combating terrorism remained a priority in his discussions with political and government officials.
Kundi also questioned Afridi’s political standing within the PTI, claiming that those around the chief minister were waiting for his departure to assume his position. He expressed pessimism about the PTI’s future and urged Afridi to resign on moral grounds.
Reiterating his challenge, Kundi called on Afridi and the PTI marchers to demonstrate their courage by reaching Swabi. “If you have even an ounce of courage, show up in Swabi tomorrow,” he said.
