Peshawar (HRNW)- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said that peace cannot be achieved through the power of guns alone, adding that the province is suffering due to what he described as wrong policies.
The remarks were made during the Police Martyrs Day ceremony held in Peshawar, which was attended by the Chief Minister, Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, IG Frontier Corps (FC), Commandant Frontier Constabulary, and other senior officials.
Paying tribute to the sacrifices of police martyrs, the Chief Minister said terrorism has caused immense damage to the province. He praised the bravery of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police and said the provincial government stands firmly with the force.
He announced that the government has allocated Rs35 billion to the police, increasing the department’s total budget to Rs85 billion. He added that the force will also receive modern weapons, improved infrastructure, upgraded police stations, and bulletproof vehicles.
Sohail Afridi said a new wave of terrorism has emerged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that the province remained peaceful between 2018 and 2022 due to the sacrifices of the police, security forces, and the public. He also said he personally lost close relatives in the war against terrorism.
The Chief Minister alleged that some state institutions are making decisions to rehabilitate terrorists, saying the province is burning because of flawed policies. He emphasized that the police cannot fight terrorism alone and that peace requires not only force but also prudent policy and strategy.
He announced that if state institutions fully cooperate with his government, he is prepared to restore peace in the province within 100 days.
Sohail Afridi also said he has never used the police for personal revenge and added that, unlike what he alleged about the Punjab Police, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police would not be used to conduct raids against JUI-F or any other political party.
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