PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi on Friday said protection of every inch of the country’s territory was a national responsibility, so no compromise would be allowed on the security of border areas.

Chairing a high-level meeting called here to review the law and order situation in the province, the chief minister expressed concern over the recent tensions along Pak-Afghan border and said that the situation was being closely monitored.

He condemned any form of provocation or external aggression along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and said there could be no compromise on national security.

“I remain in continuous coordination with the relevant institutions in view of the evolving situation,” he said, according to an official statement.

Afridi reviews Pak-Afghan tensions, law and order situation in province

Mr Afridi said that protection of the people living in border areas remained the foremost priority of the provincial government and that all necessary measures were being undertaken in that regard.

He said that the government was fully aware of people’s concerns about the current situation and wouldn’t leave residents of border districts “unsupported under any circumstances”.

The chief minister directed the civil administration to remain fully alert to respond effectively to any emergency situation and said that responsible conduct was essential for the maintenance of peace and stability.

He also promised continued support for security forces and said the provincial government stood firmly alongside all institutions working to safeguard peace and stability.

“The operational and professional requirements of law-enforcement agencies will be met on a priority basis,” he said.

Mr Afridi said that the province must rely on its institutional strength and collective resolve to address the prevailing challenges.

He stressed the optimal utilisation of available resources and expressed full confidence in the competence and commitment of the province’s human resource base.

The participants reviewed the prevailing security environment and the effectiveness of ongoing measures to strengthen public safety, and discussed a “forward-looking strategy to address emerging security challenges”.

The chief minister said that no compromise would be made on the law and order under any circumstances. The protection of life and property of citizens remains the foremost priority of our government,” he said.

Paying tribute to the police, the counter-terrorism department and the Special Branch for their sacrifices to protect public life and property, the chief minister said the dedication and professional commitment of law-enforcement agencies represented a source of pride for the entire nation.

He said that recent incidents of terrorism required more robust, coordinated and result-oriented responses, so all relevant departments should proceed under a clearly-defined and comprehensive strategy,” he said.

The chief minister said that the provincial government remained committed to providing all necessary resources. He stressed that no operational or logistical constraints would be allowed to impede the performance of the security institutions.

The participants agreed that KP should formally be declared a hard area, so the matter would be taken up again with the federal government.

The chief minister said a proper policy should be developed for the provision of artificial limbs to security personnel injured in terrorist attacks.

“Those who risk their lives in the defence of the nation deserve sustained institutional support,” he said.

Mr Afridi noted that the prevailing delicate security situation in the province had been discussed with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and at other relevant forums but the issue didn’t get the due serious response.

“Critical national issues are not receiving the required attention. There appears to be a disproportionate focus on curtailing the political role of PTI founder Imran Khan and his party,” he said.

Officials informed the meeting that during the current financial year, Rs15.1 billion had been released to the police department for goods procurement, while tests for more than 9,000 vacant posts had been conducted.

They said that the Safe City Project for Peshawar had been developed for formal inauguration, while Safe City projects for Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat districts were expected to be completed by March.

The officials said the PC-I for Safe City initiatives in Karak, Tank and North Waziristan districts had been submitted to the home department for approval, while PC-I for the merged tribal districts had been finalised for incorporation into the forthcoming Annual Development Programme.

They said that the draft Safe City Authority Act had been submitted to the home department for further processing.

The participants agreed in principle to integrate the databases of the excise department and Dastak, as well as surveillance infrastructure of the Bus Rapid Transit system, local government institutions, and the education department, with the Safe City project in order to strengthen inter-departmental coordination and real-time monitoring, according to the statement.

The chief minister directed authorities to ensure comprehensive security arrangements for the Khatmul Quran gatherings during the current month of Ramazan and said that weekly meetings on law and order should be convened to ensure systematic review, sustained oversight and continuous monitoring of the province’s security framework.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2026