PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday said that the deteriorating security situation in the country was the result of a failed foreign policy pursued over the last 22 years.

“If a policy is not delivering results and is continuously failing, there is a need to change it,” he said during a visit to Kohat.

The chief minister met the families of the police personnel and civilians martyred in the terrorist attack on the Police Lines and paid tribute to the police, counter-terrorism department, Special Branch, Rescue 1122, doctors, district administration and the people of Kohat for their courage and resilience, according to an official statement issued here.

The chief minister said that the manner in which the security personnel and other responders confronted terrorists during an operation lasting nearly 20 hours was highly commendable.

Sympathises with families of police officials, civilians martyred in Kohat blast

He said the police personnel and civilians who lost lives while confronting terrorists had made the ultimate sacrifice for the protection of the nation.

Mr Afridi said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been fighting terrorism continuously since 2004, spanning nearly 22 years, during which the province had lost more than 80,000 lives.

He said that the government that came to power in Afghanistan was welcomed with celebrations by the “bogus and imposed” Pakistani rulers but the situation later turned bad.

“Our trade [with Afghanistan] has been disrupted; the border has been closed; economic activities in the tribal districts have come to a standstill, and terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to rise,” he said.

The chief minister said the closure of the Afghan border had caused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa losses of more than Rs8 billion during the previous financial year, while the province was likely to face further economic losses during the current financial year.

He said if a policy was not delivering results and was continuously failing, there was a need to change it.

Mr Afridi said that the people and police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continued to bear the immense burden of the fight against terrorism.

He said that police personnel remained on the frontline, fighting, sustaining injuries and laying down their lives, while innocent citizens, with no crime or wrongdoing to their name, continued to be killed and injured.

The chief minister said despite those sacrifices, the people of the province continued to be viewed in that manner, which was deeply regrettable.

Referring to the prevailing state narrative, he said that those imposed on the people were calling them terrorists while claiming that there is no threat from India.

Mr Afridi said that the federal government and institutions were trying to suppress PTI’s political activity instead of addressing the challenge of terrorism.

He said that while the focus of the federal government and institutions was on such matters, there was little concern for the people who were making sacrifices on the frontline.

Addressing the youth, people and police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the chief minister said that no one else would come to stand with them and that they must stand up for themselves, their people, their province and the country.

He urged them to remain steadfast and keep their morale high, noting that the people and police of the province have continued to fight terrorism with courage and determination for the past 22 years without allowing their resolve to break.

Mr Afridi announced that financial assistance would also be provided to the families of those martyred in the incident who didn’t fall within the scope of the government’s Shuhada Package.

Announcing the provision of modern medical equipment at the District Headquarters Hospital in Kohat, he said that the shortage of CT scan, MRI and other essential modern medical equipment would be addressed.

The chief minister said that DHQ hospitals across the province were being revamped and that necessary modern equipment would be provided to the hospital.

He also announced the establishment of a police station for the Special Branch in Kohat and said that the project would be completed at the earliest.

Mr Afridi said that patient care at the Kohat Police Hospital should be improved with the help of necessary facilities.

He also took note of the shortage of police personnel and said that the matter would be taken up in the cabinet for necessary decisions.

Earlier, the chief minister visited the Kohat District Headquarters Hospital, met the injured blast victims and wished them speedy recovery.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2026