Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday promised to strengthen the police and provide them with modern equipment to restore peace in the province.
The comments come a week after the newly elected CM blamed the federal government’s “flawed policy” for the resurgence of terrorism being witnessed in the province.
Addressing a rally in KP’s Karak district today, 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 Imran Khan’s vision,” 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 vehicles for the police, of which they had received 40 so far.”
Two days ago, CM Afridi signed the purchase summary of the vehicles following a dispute with the Center over allegedly defective vehicles.
A statement issued by the CM Office said Afridi had signed the summary for the purchase of four armored personnel carriers, 39 single cab pickup trucks, 34 double cab pickup trucks, 15 pickup trucks, two Revo pickup trucks and seven other vehicles.
It quoted the CM as saying that supply of bulletproof vehicles at a cost of Rs 1,890 crore was already underway.
‘Center building a narrative’
At today’s rally, the newly elected CM attacked the federal government for “giving stepmotherly treatment to KP”.
“That’s why KP has been left behind,” he commented.
He said that during the merger of the districts comprising the former Fata in KP, the people of the region were promised Rs 100 billion. But “they never received it,” he said.
On the issue of National Finance Commission (NFC), the KP CM expressed disappointment that an NFC meeting was yet to be called and promised to raise the issue of KP’s shares after the Fata merger in the session.
At a rally in Khyber yesterday, CM KP made similar comments, claiming that the federal government owed the province Rs 550 billion, and called for an immediate re-meeting of the NFC meeting.
CM Afridi further alleged today that the Center was “building a narrative” against him, due to my middle-class background and tribal area.”
“Senior ministers have made allegations against me,” he said, reiterating that he was “a soldier of Imran Khan” and had not said anything unkind 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 asked him to arrange a meeting with Khan… to which he said, I will ask him and then tell him.”
“Who exactly are you going to ask?” the CM questioned.
Regarding KP’s natural resources, the Prime Minister said he supported the people of KP, stressing that “only the people of KP have the right to decide where their resources should go.”
