RAWALPINDI: Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Danyal Chaudhry on Friday criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for allegedly spending resources on political protests rather than strengthening institutions to combat terrorism.

Addressing a press conference at Rawalpindi Press Club, he said the provincial leadership was prioritising political protests over public safety despite a surge in deadly militant attacks targeting law enforcement personnel. He alleged that the KP chief minister and government officials were providing protection to terrorists.

“The political agenda of Tehreek-i-Insaf revolves around spreading hatred and inciting hostility against state institutions. This system is no longer sustainable; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is engulfed in flames, yet the chief minister is preoccupied with a long march,” he said.

He alleged that the chief minister had allocated Rs200 billion for the beautification of Peshawar but failed to provide the needed Rs44bn to the police — our first line of defence — giving them only Rs1.2bn instead.

“Already facing terrorism, the KP province is required to ensure safety of security officials,” he said.

Mr Chaudhry asked to what extent the provincial government had harmonised its policies with the unanimously adopted national policies against militancy. He said the KP government had not yet come up with a clear stance against recent terrorist activities committed by Fitna Al Khawarij.

He questioned KP’s 15-year counterterrorism framework and urged the immediate implementation of the National Action Plan. He also called for providing the police with modern weaponry and protective equipment to neutralise cross-border threats originating from Afghanistan.

Mr Chaudhry warned that political sit-ins and rallies organised by opposition parties risked heightening domestic instability, disrupting public order and damaging Pakistan’s international image at a time when the country was hosting foreign diplomatic delegations and international sports teams.

He said under the given situation no political party, including PPP and ANP, could do any political activities. He called on regional political parties to take a firm stance against administrative negligence and prioritise collective national security over political confrontation.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2026