KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi calls on Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Photo: Express
ISLAMABAD:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Tuesday stressed the need for close federal-provincial coordination to fight terrorism in the province and told Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi that the Centre’s cooperation was essential to restore peace and security in KP.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior on social media platform X, Kundi called on the Interior Minister in Islamabad where the two discussed security arrangements in KP border areas and ongoing operations against Fitna al Khawarij.
The statement said Interior Minister Naqvi assured the governor of the full support of the federal government to address the security challenges facing the province.
“Establishing peace in KP is top priority,” he was quoted as saying. He added that the federal government was “ready to provide support in this regard in every possible way”.
Acknowledging the sacrifices made by the province, Naqvi said, “We appreciate the sacrifices made by the people of KP in the war against terrorism”.
“Fitna al Khawarij and their facilitators are being eliminated through joint efforts,” he said, adding that “no leniency of any kind will be shown to the khawariji”.
Meanwhile, Governor Kundi reiterated that sustained peace in KP could not be achieved without strong federal support.
“Joint and coordinated action is needed to eliminate terrorism,” he said.
The meeting followed Kundi’s remarks earlier this week in which he called on the KP government to support military operations in the province and warned that the security situation had deteriorated significantly due to renewed militancy.
Speaking on Sunday at the National Press Club, Kundi said the provincial government must support security operations, stressing that “without stability, development projects could not move forward”.
He said that insecurity had adversely affected the social and economic conditions of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that “sustained peace was essential for business and investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”.
The concerns come amid a sharp escalation of violence nationwide.
According to statistics released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), Pakistan’s counter-terrorism landscape worsened significantly in 2025, with combat-related deaths increasing by 73 percent compared to the previous year.
The report said the year not only saw a steep rise in total deaths but also marked the deadliest year for militants since 2015, the deadliest for security forces since 2011 and the worst for civilian casualties since 2015.
