KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: screenshot
ISLAMABAD:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said 80 percent of militants and terrorists operating in the province are foreigners, while before the Emirate-e-Islami takeover in Afghanistan, most of the militants were locals.
He added that the unrest in the province was the result of a lack of seriousness on the part of the establishment, but maintained that peace could still be restored through negotiations. He said if supported by the federal government and security forces, he could help bring peace to the province within “hundreds of days”.
In an informal interaction with foreign media workers, Afridi clarified that he had no information regarding allegations that 2,000 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government employees were involved in supporting militants in the province. “But he said he has no tolerance for those who sympathize and support elements of governments in favor of activists and militancy,” Afridi said.
Afridi said the conflict in Afghanistan had caused losses of $10 billion due to the recent closure of trading points in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially Torkham, adding that the province’s trade share had declined from $10 billion per month to $3 billion per month. Despite this, he stressed that dialogue remained the preferred route to resolving conflicts.
“We have suggested names for a Jirga with Afghanistan, but despite the proposed names and time for negotiations with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on the TTP, despite our seriousness, the central government is still not in a position to decide on such a matter,” said Sohail Afridi.
Speaking about the investigation into Mufti Sheikh Idress, Afridi said the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) was doing its best and had almost reached conclusions, adding that the culprits would soon be behind bars.
Regarding the repatriation of Afghan refugees, he demanded that respectful measures be adopted to protect the dignity and self-respect of Afghan citizens.
