PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of the imposition of the governor’s rule in the province and said he was ready to play for the people’s development.

He urged the federal government to come up with a robust plan to counter recurrent attacks against law-enforcement and security personnel.

Addressing a news conference at the Governor’s House, Kundi criticised the recent unrest in Islamabad and said such incidents undermined national security.

He said the police and Rangers personnel lost lives during protests, while barriers put up to stop protesters paralysed life and badly affected business activities.

Says he will host MPC on Kurram tensions early next month

The governor said from time to time, people from the province went to Islamabad to stage protests and cases were registered against them, but what happened to those cases.

He said both law-enforcement agencies and protestors suffered casualties during the Islamabad protest.

Kundi raised questions about the claims of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf about killing of its workers, saying funeral or memorial services weren’t seen.

He criticised Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI chief Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi for “fleeing” Islamabad protest.

He announced that he would host a multiparty conference to discuss current tensions in the Kurram tribal district in the first week of next month.

“I’ll visit the restive district,” he said, urging the chief minister to accompany him.

The governor expressed concern about the poor security situation in Kurram district and said that he would soon visit the region.

He said that maintaining law and order was the foremost of the province’s issues as more than 150 people had lost lives since Oct this year, while 200 others had been injured.

Kundi voiced concern over a lack of attention on part of the chief minister to the Kurram issue and said while the province was burning, the provincial government was “stoking fires” in Islamabad.

He said he would reach out to the National Disaster Management Authority and the prime minister to ensure that the victims of Kurram violence receive necessary assistance.

The governor said the Pakistan Red Crescent Society was actively assisting the violence victims but the Provincial Disaster Management Authority was a big let-down as it, despite being requested for assistance, claimed to have no resources to offer.

He also said the government would work to transfer the injured to other hospitals in the province.

“I will ask the interior minister to provide a helicopter for medical evacuations,” he said.

Kundi called for unity among the province’s political leadership and said when they come together, solutions to issues can be found.

He invited the chief minister to join him in Kurram to play a role in controlling the situation.

“When the political leadership unites, the way forward becomes clear,” he added.

He also invited other political leaders to participate in the moot to help find a solution to the security issue of the province.

The governor stressed the need for full implementation of the National Action Plan to address security concerns nationwide.

Kundi warned violence from Afghanistan could spread to Pakistan and wondered if the “fire from Afghanistan reaches Dera Ismail Khan and spreads to Punjab, what will we do then?”

He called for a decisive action from the federal government to prevent the situation from worsening.

Also, Mr Kundi met with Qaumi Watan Party provincial president Sikandar Sherpao in Watan Kor and discussed the delicate law and order situation in the province with him.

He invited Mr Sherpao to attend a multiparty conference slated to be held in the first week of next month.

The governor said the law and order situation in the province was deteriorating, so MPC would bring political leaders together to formulate a comprehensive strategy to address the growing security concerns.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2024