Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Monday expressed concern over the current situation in the province, naming terrorism, a governance vacuum and an economic downturn as key issues, and said that despite tremendous sacrifices, the province was still facing threats.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, leaving both provinces in a state of uncertainty.

The governor made these remarks while addressing a seminar titled ‘Security and governance challenges in KP’ at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute.

“KP has long been affected by terrorism,” he said. “Although the security forces have made tremendous sacrifices to restore peace, the threats have not been entirely eliminated.”

Governor Kundi highlighted that corruption and a lack of political ownership were contributing factors to KP’s current situation. He expressed concern over how development funds had been “misused over the past decade”, while legislation had failed to produce any results.

Addressing the merger of the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata), he pointed out that the merged district still faced governance gaps, cross-border criminal activity, corruption, and political marginalisation.

He emphasised the transparent use of funds as a “measure to improve the standard of governance” along with an urgent need for effective management in border areas, institutional coordination and sustainable policymaking as a measure for addressing the root of terrorism and crime within KP.

According to a report released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), KP was recorded to have 23 terrorist attacks in February alone, while in the merged districts, 21 terrorist attacks were reported.

Talking about the mismanagement of public funds, he called for strengthening the public accounts committee, holding open hearings on audit reports and establishing a strong system of governmental accountability.

“Until financial discipline and transparency are ensured, the dream of good governance cannot be realised”, Kundi added. “Through unity, determination, and a joint strategy, KP can become a powerful and developed province.”