Sohail Afridi Accuses PPP of Seeking ‘Another East Pakistan’ Situation After Kundi Meeting

K-P chief minister calls governor’s security meeting an attack on the Constitution and says his government will oppose any attempt to undermine provincial authority

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K-P chief minister calls governor’s security meeting an attack on the Constitution and says his government will oppose any attempt to undermine provincial authority

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has criticised a security meeting chaired by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, describing it as an alleged interference in the affairs of the elected provincial government.

Speaking at a provincial cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Afridi accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of attempting to create what he called “another East Pakistan” situation and said his government would not allow any move that could threaten Pakistan’s unity.

“We are with Pakistan and will not allow anyone to break up Pakistan under any circumstances,” Afridi said, adding that he believed any such attempt would fail.

Kundi chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review the security situation in the province, including law and order and the security implications of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march. The meeting was attended by senior provincial officials, including the chief secretary and inspector general of police.

Afridi questions governor’s authority

Afridi said the provincial government had been elected with a two-thirds majority and argued that the provincial assembly, cabinet and government remained in place.

He questioned the governor’s authority to summon senior provincial officials while an elected government was functioning.

“The governor presiding over such a meeting is an attack on the Constitution and democracy,” Afridi said.

He maintained that there was a constitutional procedure for removing a chief minister and that a vote of no-confidence was the mechanism provided for that purpose.

Afridi said he would seek the opinion of the K-P advocate general on the constitutional status of Tuesday’s meeting and consider legislative action if necessary.

K-P Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel told the cabinet that Pakistan’s federal parliamentary system distributes legislative, administrative and financial powers among different institutions.

He said the governor’s constitutional role was defined under Articles 101, 103 and 104, while executive authority rested with the provincial cabinet and government.

Referring to Article 131, Utmankhel said the chief minister was required to keep the governor informed about provincial administration and legislative matters, but argued that this did not give the governor independent authority to issue instructions to provincial officials.

He said broader powers could be exercised under Article 234 if the constitutional machinery of a province failed and governor’s rule was imposed.

Security dispute intensifies

The dispute comes amid growing tensions between the federal and K-P governments over security, counterterrorism policy and the PTI’s long march.

The federal government and opposition recently held talks that ended without agreement, with counterterrorism policy and other political issues among the major points of disagreement.

Kundi has defended his security meetings by stressing the need for institutions to work together against terrorism and maintain public safety. He has also previously said that political activity should not come at the expense of security.

The possibility of governor’s rule or emergency measures in K-P has also been discussed publicly in recent days.

Afridi defends government’s counterterrorism record

Afridi defended his administration’s record on policing and counterterrorism, saying the provincial government had invested in the police, Counter-Terrorism Department and Special Branch since he took office in October 2025.

He said the government had strengthened CTD infrastructure and provided additional resources to improve intelligence gathering.

Afridi also criticised the federal government over its treatment of K-P and raised concerns about the financial integration of the former tribal districts following their merger with the province in 2018.

He claimed that compensation owed to displaced families remained outstanding and said the provincial government had spent billions of rupees supporting people affected by conflict and military operations.

KP CM Sohail Afridi offers talks to federal government after PTI delays Islamabad march

CM calls for policy change

Afridi rejected the argument that the provincial government’s lack of cooperation was responsible for the continuing security challenges.

He cited the number of intelligence-based and military operations conducted over the past two decades and argued that the continued violence showed a need to reconsider existing counterterrorism policies.

The chief minister claimed that peace could be restored within 100 days if his proposed approach was adopted.

He also accused the federal government of interfering in the provincial police’s affairs and urged senior officials to follow the Constitution and law when carrying out their duties.

Afridi called for inquiries into alleged misconduct by police officers in parts of the province, including an inquiry against the Station House Officer of Lachi over allegations that the officer had taken money from citizens at gunpoint.

The widening dispute between the provincial and federal authorities comes as the PTI-led long march continues and discussions over security arrangements, provincial powers and the possibility of emergency measures remain ongoing.

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