PESHAWAR: Awami National Party Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Thursday said that the current security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan was “extremely alarming”, showing growing instability and uncertainty across the region.

“Lawlessness and violence have directly affected the lives of Pakhtun people, resulting not only in a poor security situation but also seriously impacting social harmony, education and the development process,” Mr Hussain said during a meeting with a delegation of teachers, intellectuals and writers from Balochistan hereat the Bacha Khan Centre.

The visitors were led by chairman of the Pashto Department at University of Balochistan Prof Barkat Shah Kakar.

They and the ANP leader discussed the overall law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as well as social and intellectual challenges and issues confronting Pakhtun society.

Iftikhar calls for unity to confront circumstances

Mr Hussain said the challenges couldn’t be addressed through short-term or temporary measures alone.

“Unity, mutual trust and collective struggle are essential to confront the prevailing circumstances,” he said.

The ANP leader maintained that extremism and militancy could not be countered solely through the use of force and that there was a need to challenge extremist tendencies on intellectual and ideological grounds in order to promote tolerance, dialogue and awareness within society.

Highlighting the role of intellectuals, teachers, poets and writers, he said that that segment of society served as a source of intellectual guidance and could play a vital role in raising public awareness through knowledge and critical thinking, while also guiding the younger generation in a positive direction.

Mr Hussain said that in the current environment, the responsibility of scholars and intellectuals had increased, so they should present a reasoned and effective response to narratives of hatred, violence and extremism.

He said the ANP firmly believed in the philosophy of non-violence, peace, tolerance and humanism espoused by Bacha Khan.

“In the present circumstances, Bacha Khan’s philosophy of non-violence is needed more than ever as it provides a path towards sustainable peace, development and prosperity for Pakhtun society,” he said.

The ANP leader said that promoting peace, tolerance and democratic values was a collective responsibility.

He said that the ANP would continue its struggle for the restoration of peace, the elimination of extremism and the protection of the rights and authority of the people while remaining committed to its foundational principles.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2026