PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa information minister Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel on Wednesday claimed that “foreign elements” were involved in the recent militant attacks in the province.

“It is too early to name foreign elements behind acts of militancy as things are being investigated,” the minister told Dawn.

He, however, said the government would share details of the probe into militant attacks with the media in “near future”.

Earlier, the minister told a presser here that militants wanted to destroy peace in the province, according to an official statement.

CM says special steps should be taken to improve law and order

He said the police had rendered countless sacrifices in the fight against militancy and their morale was high.

Mr Kakakhel said additional station house officer Adnan Afridi was martyred as he tried to stop a suicide bomber from entering a Jamrud mosque.

He said several militant attacks took place in the past but the police continued to crack down on militancy vigorously.

The minister insisted that foreigners were involved in the militant attack on the Jamrud mosque as they wanted to destroy national security.

He said a coordinated effort was being made to check militant attacks.

“Militants have started targeting mosques. They cannot be called Muslims,” he said.

Mr Kakakhel said though neighbouring countries were fighting militancy, “some elements” were opposed to Pakistan’s development and wanted instability in the country.

He said 46 checkpoints and seven police stations had been established in the province’s tribal districts to improve security, while 8,000 personnel were trained by the armed forces and 325 surveillance cameras were installed in the provincial capital.

The minister said the armed forces provided 25 armoured vehicles to the police.

He said law-enforcement agencies were ready to counter militant attacks.

“Details of the meeting on border control and entry of suicide bombers into the country will be shared with media in the next few days,” he said.

Home and tribal affairs secretary Abid Majeed, who was also in attendance, highlighted the law and order situation in the province and security measures for Muharram and said the police and other law-enforcement agencies won’t make any compromise on security.

“A separate meeting has been held on border control. Public representatives and personnel of law-enforcement agencies have shared their input. All that will be shared with the media soon,” he said.

The secretary said authorities had received specific terror threats for two districts of the province.

Also in the day, a meeting was held at the Chief Minister’s House to examine the overall law and order situation in the province.

Caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan, who chaired the meeting, expressed concerns over the recent militant attacks in the province and said special measures were required to be taken improve the law and order situation, according to a statement issued by the CM House.

“Maintaining law and order during Muharram should be our top most priority. All stakeholders will have to play a proactive role for it,” he said.

The chief minister directed authorities to pay special attention to security of the most sensitive places in the province during the month.

He paid tribute to the martyred police and security personnel and said those officials had laid down their lives for the security of the province and their sacrifices would be remembered forever.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2023