CHARSADDA: Awami National Party central president Senator Aimal Wali Khan on Friday said that the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had rapidly deteriorated due to the weak writ of the state.

Talking to members of the Muhammadzai Union of Journalists in a meeting here, Aimal alleged that terrorists were patrolling roads and highways in broad daylight, revealing a clear failure of the state’s policies.

“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa currently faces unrest and instability, but the state institutions and governments are acting as silent spectators. If the current situation is not taken seriously, its consequences will prove more dangerous and destructive than before,” he warned.

The ANP leader claimed that terrorists were openly patrolling and setting up checkpoints in Khyber tribal district and the Rustam area of Mardan district.

Resents ‘resettlement’ of terrorists in province

He added that those incidents reflected a clear failure of the state system and policies.

Mr Aimal said that on one hand, claims were being made that militant hideouts across the border had been destroyed, while on the other, the same elements were seen openly functioning in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“If the state does not want it, not even a single grain of grape can cross the border, so through what route do these terrorists reach here?”

The ANP leader said that calling militant activities a conspiracy against Chief Minister Suhail Afridi was ridiculous and an insult to the people.

“Declaring one’s incompetence and failure a conspiracy is nothing but an escape from reality,” he said.

Mr Aimal said that the KP government was trying to mislead the people by fabricating a “narrative of conspiracies” to hide its policy failures.

He complained about the resettlement of terrorists in the province and said the move had threatened peace in the province.

The ANP leader said the PTI continued to be seen as a sympathiser and facilitator of terrorists.

He said the resettlement of 40,000 militants cost the province dearly.

Mr Aimal said maintaining law and order in the province is the constitutional responsibility of the PTI government but it seemed to have miserably failed to fulfil it.

He also criticised the federal government for being “indifferent” to the situation and said both PML-N and PTI were engaged in political conflict instead of ensuring the security of Pakhtuns.

The ANP leader said the southern districts of the province had lost the government’s writ and were under the influence of terrorists.

“If the situation continues, Peshawar could also be controlled by terrorists,” he said, calling for serious measures to address the problem of terrorism.

Mr Aimal said due to 13 years of failed experiments, the province was suffering from law and order, economic, financial and administrative crises, to the misery of residents.

He said that the powerful state institutions were equally responsible in the current security crisis.

The ANP leader complained about the nomination of US President Donald Trump by Pakistan for the Nobel Prize and said the emerging global scenario was extremely worrying, where a fanatical mindset was pushing the entire world towards destruction.

He said whether global values, principles and laws still had any status and where the international institutions that claimed to be the guarantors of peace and justice were.

Mr Aimal said that no religion taught war and bloodshed, so the world must unite against war and violence.

He added that voice should be raised against the aggressive US and Israeli policies.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2026