PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi on Thursday said a special committee of the provincial assembly was being formedto investigate the alleged rigging in the Feb 8, 2024, general elections in the province.

Chairing a cabinet meeting here, the chief minister said that the committee would call the provincial government’s employees, who performed duties in the Feb 8 polls, and quiz about electoral “rigging”, according to an official statement.

He also said that the decision to withdraw the Action in Aid of Civil Power Regulation, 2011, had already been taken but the process was being delayed due to the Centre’s failure to provide details of terrorist detention centres.

Mr Afridi said the lack of details regarding detained terrorists could create security concerns after the withdrawal of the Action in Aid of Civil Power Regulations.

CM insists military actions being carried out in KP without govt, PA’s consent

He termed the federal government’s move to declare political parties proscribed under the Anti-Terrorism Act as wrong and said that the list of political workers included in Schedule Four should be reviewed afresh to provide relief.

“Security forces are our protectors and we are proud of them, but grievances are directed at our own people,” he said.

The CM said on one hand, terrorist attacks killed civilians but on the other, civilians were martyred as collateral damage.

He said legislation was needed regarding civilian casualties caused by drone and aerial attacks.

“Military operations in KP are being carried out without the approval of the provincial assembly and provincial government, whereas it is essential to take all stakeholders, tribal elders and political and religious leadership into confidence in order to establish sustainable peace in the province,” he said.

Mr Afridi said though 22 major operations and 14,000 intelligence-based operations had been carried out in the province, terrorism had not been eliminated.

He said the Radio Pakistan mob attack was a conspiracy against the PTI and that a special committee of the provincial assembly, constituted to investigate the incident, had held a meeting.

He said that discriminatory and unfair treatment was being meted out to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was unacceptable.

During the cabinet meeting, Mr Afridi condemned the “solitary confinement” of PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in Adiala Jail and the denial of meetings with them.

He said Mr Imran had been kept in solitary confinement for more than 90 days and was not being allowed to meet his family members and friends.

The CM said Bushra Bibi had also been kept in isolation and was not being allowed to meet her family members, which was a grave violation of basic human rights.

He said that not providing Mr Imran and his wife with winter protection items, was an act of cruelty and that the fake government was breaking all records of authoritarianism.

Mr Afridi said that the federation was not providing the promised funds for internally displaced persons and that the provincial government had so far spent Rs7.5 billion from its own resources.

He said that after the announcement of operations, people were displaced and had to leave the province, placing a heavy financial burden on provincial resources.

“Until now, Rs10 billion has been spent, and there is a risk of further losses amounting to Rs100 billion,” he said.

The CM said due to decisions taken behind closed doors, GDP had fallen from 6.1 per cent to 2-3 per cent, while public debt had increased from Rs43,000 billion to Rs80,000 billion.

Briefing on the cabinet’s key decisions, special assistant to the chief minister for information and public relations Shafi Jan said that the cabinet approved introduction of artificial intelligence education in schools, promotion of positive youth activities, improvement of judicial infrastructure, prison reforms, legislative initiatives and approval of funds for development schemes and relief activities.

He said that the cabinet approved Rs2,684 million for improving facilities in prisons and strengthening security arrangements, adding allocated funds would be utilized to address the shortage of basic facilities in various prisons and for the procurement of modern security equipment.

The cabinet also approved the KP Education Testing and Evaluation Agency Bill, 2025, and the KP Minerals Development and Management Company Bill, 2025.

According to the special assistant, the latter bill would provide a formal legal framework to the Minerals Development and Management Company operating in the province.

The meeting approved a Rs32 million grant-in-aid for the construction of science and computer laboratories at the Atfal Academy, Wana besides Rs28 million as cash awards to encourage athletes who secured medals in the 35th National Games.

For the rehabilitation of people affected by the August 2025 floods, the cabinet approved a relief package worth Rs1.136 billion. Under the Fata University Project, the cabinet approved the establishment of the Mines and Minerals Value Addition Hub at a cost of Rs2.5 billion.

Furthermore, Rs300 million was approved under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Foundation Scholarship Endowment Fund for students from the merged tribal districts.

The cabinet approved the allocation of two kanals of land for the establishment of a Nadra office in Kohat and sanctioned an increase in the cost of a development scheme of the Kohat Institute of Medical Sciences.

For the improvement of the justice system, the cabinet approved Rs298 million for judicial infrastructure projects besides the inclusion of artificial intelligence courses in the computer science curriculum for students from grades 6-12.

It approved the draft memorandum of understanding to declare Peshawar and New York as sister cities, a move expected to promote cooperation in cultural, trade, economic, educational and governance sectors.

The cabinet approved the provision of 198 kanals of land for the establishment of two graveyards in Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026