KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: screenshot
ISLAMABAD:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said that 80 per cent of the militants and terrorists operating in the province are foreigners, while before the Emirate-e-Islami took control of Afghanistan, most of the militants were locals.
He further said 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 that, if supported by the federal government and security forces, he could help bring peace to the province in “hundreds of days.”
During an informal interaction with foreign media professionals, Afridi clarified that he had no information about allegations that 2,000 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government employees were involved in supporting militants in the province. “But he declared that he has zero tolerance against those who sympathize and support militants and militants in governments,” Afridi said.
Afridi said the Afghanistan conflict had caused losses of $10 billion due to the recent closure of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s trading points, especially Torkham, adding that the province’s share of trade had decreased from $10 billion a month to $3 billion a month. Despite this, he stressed that dialogue continues to be the preferred way to resolve conflicts.
“We have suggested names for a Jirga with Afghanistan, but despite the proposed names and time for talks with the Emirate and Islami of Afghanistan on the TTP, despite our seriousness, the central government is still unable to decide on this issue,” Sohail Afridi said.
Talking 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.
On the repatriation of Afghan refugees, he demanded that respectful measures be taken to protect the dignity and self-respect of Afghan citizens.
