KP chief minister says Islamabad has lost control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has accused Pakistan’s federal government of losing effective control over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, saying the country’s security policies have failed and should be urgently reassessed.

Speaking at a public gathering, Afridi said the worsening security situation reflected the failure of Pakistan’s current security strategy. He claimed that institutions responsible for national security had become preoccupied with political matters instead of addressing growing militant threats.

“If you want to earn dollars or buy islands abroad, do not do it at the cost of my people’s lives,” Afridi said. “Our people are not an experimental ground. They are not sacrificial animals to be used whenever a new policy is tested.”

Afridi alleged that Islamabad had allowed instability to worsen in both provinces, arguing that the federal government no longer exercised effective control over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

He also criticized Pakistan’s policy on Kashmir, saying the government had long presented the region as an integral part of the country while, according to him, failing to protect its own citizens.

“The crisis in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is no longer confined to those provinces,” Afridi said. “For years we were told that Kashmir belongs to Pakistan, so where is Kashmir heading today?”

Questioning Pakistan’s reliance on military force, Afridi said more than two decades of conflict in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had shown that weapons alone could not restore peace.

“If guns could solve these problems, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would have been peaceful after 22 years,” he said. “If force had been the answer over the past 78 years, Pakistani ministers would not be speaking today about the country’s deepening crisis.”

Afridi’s comments come as militant attacks have increased in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in recent months, adding to concerns over Pakistan’s security situation. His remarks are also expected to intensify political tensions between the provincial administration and the federal government.