By: Shahid Jan
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has welcomed the ongoing talks between Pakistan-Afghan aimed at achieving cross-border peace and efforts to eliminate terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan.
While talking to reporters outside the provincial assembly on Thursday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi stated that decisions concerning the province should no longer be made behind closed doors. He added that both the public and the provincial government had lost trust in such practices.
Speaking further, the Chief Minister mentioned that he was scheduled to meet with the party founder later that day, after which a statement from the cabinet would be issued. “All our MPAs stand with us firmly,” he remarked, attributing his party’s third consecutive term in government to good governance. “The people of this province have complete trust in the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and we will continue to deliver as we have in the past,” he stated.
Mr Afridi called for a case to be registered against those responsible for collateral damage, emphasising that basic human rights would not be violated in the province.
He also welcomed the recent talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, noting that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a key stakeholder and has not been adequately consulted. “Pakistan must prioritise its own interests,” he said. “No country is a slave to another; every nation looks after its own interests. We need a statesman who will protect Pakistan’s interests.”
The Chief Minister criticised previous decision-making processes related to the province’s security situation, arguing that peace cannot be established through secretive decisions. “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has become a testing ground,” Mr Afridi said, questioning why terrorism persists despite 22 operations and 14,000 intelligence-based operations conducted in the province.
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