Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said that if any country engages in any act of provocation or aggression against Pakistan, “we will go to any extent to defend the country, without fear or hesitation”.

In an X post, CM Afridi said, “This is not only the stance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government; every Pakistani considers it a national duty.

“Despite internal differences and criticism on flawed policies, we will stand by our country and our security forces in the face of external conspiracies or aggression.”

He mentioned that he had shared the directives given by PTI founder and incarcerated leader Imran Khan with federal government representatives in his last meeting with them.

He quoted Khan as saying, “Now, for establishing peace in Afghanistan and the tribal areas, it is necessary to take the three parties along. First, the people of tribal areas; second, the Afghan government; and third, the people of Afghanistan. Without the support of these three stakeholders, no successful operation or sustainable solution is possible.

In light of these directives by Imran, CM Afridi said, “I advised the federal representatives to form a national jirga comprising representatives of the provincial and federal governments, tribal elders and leaders of all political and religious parties.

“This is the only way through which issues can be resolved in the best possible manner. War should always be the last option. War escalates problems; it does not reduce them.”