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Tag: Peshawar

  • New BRT Route DR-17 for Peshawar Ring Road from Monday

    New BRT Route DR-17 for Peshawar Ring Road from Monday

    TransPeshawar has formally announced a new Bus Rapid Transit route, DR-17, on Peshawar’s Ring Road, with regular service due to begin on Monday, 16 November.

    According to TransPeshawar, the new route will run from Chamkani via the southern Ring Road to the Mall of Hayatabad, providing a direct travel facility between the two ends of the city. The route will have 27 stops, and 15 modern buses will operate on it in the initial phase.

    Under the announced timings, the first bus will leave Chamkani at 7:00am, while service from the Mall of Hayatabad will begin at 8:20am. The service will run daily until 7:00pm without interruption.

    TransPeshawar said that with the addition of DR-17, the total number of Zu Peshawar routes will rise to 20, reflecting the continued expansion of the system. Officials said the new route will particularly benefit residents living along the Ring Road, students travelling to educational institutions, and people who commute to work every day, saving them considerable travel time.

    The announcement follows years of planning for bus services on the Ring Road. In July 2024, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government decided to declare the Ring Road from Chamkani to Hayatabad a BRT route, and to extend the BRT service from Chamkani to Pabbi in Nowshera. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mobility Authority chaired by the then chief minister.

    In February 2025, the provincial government approved a wider expansion of the BRT service to new areas of Peshawar, including Ring Road, Bara Road and Khyber Road, with 72 new diesel-hybrid buses to be added to the fleet. Officials set a six-month deadline for the purchase of the buses and the completion of civil works for the new routes, and said the missing link of the Ring Road would be completed with full funding. Seven underpasses were also planned on Ring Road and University Road to improve traffic flow.

    The Peshawar BRT system, operated by TransPeshawar, was inaugurated in August 2020. Its main east-west corridor runs from Chamkani to Karkhano market with 30 stations, supported by a network of feeder routes that carry buses onto city streets. The system carries hundreds of thousands of passengers every day, and its expansion to the Ring Road has been a longstanding demand of commuters in the provincial capital.

  • NAB Approves Rs513m Plea Bargain in Kohistan Scandal

    NAB Approves Rs513m Plea Bargain in Kohistan Scandal

    An accountability court in Peshawar has approved a plea bargain of Rs513.138 million in the Kohistan scandal, 24NewsHD reported on Friday.

    The accused, Musharraf Shah, a former bank cashier, admitted to having earned ill-gotten money worth Rs490.23 million, with a profit of Rs200.7 million, according to the report. The court, under Section 15 of the plea bargain, ordered the release of the accused after he deposited the penalty, and observed that he would be treated as a convicted and disqualified person.

    Under Sections 9(a) and 15 of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, an approved plea bargain results in a conviction record, mandatory discharge from liability upon surrendering the proceeds of crime, and lifelong disqualification from holding public office.

    The Kohistan scandal involves the alleged embezzlement of more than Rs37 billion from the contractors’ security deposit head of account, G-10113, in the Upper Kohistan district accounts office. According to investigators, treasury cheques were issued for fake development projects, with no actual work carried out. The main accused is Qaiser Iqbal, a head clerk in the communication and works department, and more than 40 people have been arrested in the case so far.

    According to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) sources, corruption amounting to more than Rs45 billion was allegedly committed in the scandal, of which around Rs30 billion has so far been recovered. A series of plea bargains has been approved in the case in recent months, including a Rs4.05 billion recovery from Mumtaz Khan, described as a frontman of the main accused, and a Rs409.6 million plea bargain by Hareeq Ahmad, who served as an operations manager at a private bank in Dasu, Kohistan. An accountability court also approved a Rs38.05 million plea bargain by a private contractor, Saran Zeb, earlier this year. The Peshawar High Court has also issued a notice to NAB over the arrest of an accused despite his plea bargain request, in a writ petition filed by Muhammad Riaz.

    The plea bargain approved on Friday is the latest in the case, in which NAB has described the recoveries as among the largest in its history. The accused will now stand disqualified from public office for life under the law.

  • پشاور: محکمہ تعلیم میں اصلاحات، بھرتیاں دو ہفتوں میں

    پشاور: محکمہ تعلیم میں اصلاحات، بھرتیاں دو ہفتوں میں

    پشاور — محکمہ تعلیم نے اپنے تمام دفاتر میں واضح اور فوری تبدیلیاں لانے کا حکم دے دیا ہے۔ تعلیمی نظام میں بہتری اور انتظامی کارکردگی کو شفاف بنانے کے لیے بڑے فیصلے کیے گئے ہیں، جن کا مقصد اصلاحات کو کاغذوں سے نکال کر عملی شکل دینا ہے۔

    محکمے کے مطابق یہ اقدامات صوبے میں عوامی سہولیات کی فراہمی اور سروس ڈیلیوری کو مزید بہتر بنانے کے لیے اٹھائے جا رہے ہیں۔ حکام کو ہدایت کی گئی ہے کہ تبدیلیاں صرف فائلوں تک محدود نہ رہیں بلکہ عملی طور پر نظر آئیں، اور ہر دفتر کی کارکردگی پر اب پہلے سے زیادہ نظر رکھی جائے گی۔

    بھرتیوں کا عمل دو ہفتوں میں مکمل کرنے کا حکم

    سب سے اہم ہدایت بھرتیوں سے متعلق ہے۔ محکمہ تعلیم کے حکام کو ہدایت کی گئی ہے کہ محکمے میں باقی ماندہ تمام بھرتیوں کا عمل آئندہ دو ہفتوں کے اندر ہر صورت مکمل کیا جائے۔ پیش رفت کا جائزہ لینے کے لیے ہفتہ وار رپورٹ پیش کرنے کا بھی حکم جاری کیا گیا ہے تاکہ بھرتیوں کی رفتار پر باقاعدہ نظر رکھی جا سکے۔

    دو ہفتوں کی مہلت محکمے میں زیر التوا تمام بھرتیوں پر لاگو ہوگی۔ ہفتہ وار رپورٹنگ کا مقصد یہ ہے کہ تاخیر کی صورت میں اس کی نشاندہی بروقت ہو سکے اور رکاوٹیں بڑھنے سے پہلے دور کی جا سکیں۔

    ترقیاتی منصوبے اور جی جی آر ایم کی ٹائم لائن

    محکمے نے جی جی آر ایم منصوبے کی سرگرمیوں کی ٹائم لائنز پر نظرثانی کرتے ہوئے نیا شیڈول مرتب کرنے کا بھی فیصلہ کیا ہے تاکہ ترقیاتی عمل کو مزید تیز کیا جا سکے۔ اس جائزے کا مقصد منصوبے کی راہ میں حائل رکاوٹیں دور کرنا اور کام کو تیز رفتار سے آگے بڑھانا ہے۔

    ایک اور فیصلے کے تحت محکمہ تعلیم کے جاری اور تمام مکمل شدہ ترقیاتی منصوبوں کو میڈیا پر اجاگر کیا جائے گا تاکہ ان کی معلومات عوام تک پہنچ سکیں۔ منصوبوں کی مؤثر تشہیر کی تمام تر ذمہ داری کمیونیکیشن اسپیشلسٹ کے سپرد کر دی گئی ہے۔

    نجی اسکولوں کی ریگولیٹری اتھارٹی اور آؤٹ سورسنگ

    اجلاس کے دوران دو مزید الگ اجلاس بلانے کی ہدایت کی گئی ہے۔ ایک اجلاس میں نجی تعلیمی اداروں کی ریگولیٹری اتھارٹی سے متعلق امور پر غور کیا جائے گا، جبکہ دوسرے اجلاس میں سرکاری اسکولوں کی آؤٹ سورسنگ کے معاملات کو حتمی شکل دی جائے گی۔ دونوں موضوعات پر الگ الگ تفصیلی غور کیا جائے گا۔

    حکومت کا عزم ہے کہ عوام کو بہتر تعلیمی سہولیات فراہم کی جائیں اور محکمانہ کارکردگی میں تیزی سے شفاف بہتری لائی جائے۔ حکام کا کہنا ہے کہ پشاور میں اعلان کردہ اصلاحات اسی سمت میں پہلا قدم ہیں، اور اب ہفتہ وار رپورٹس کے ذریعے پیش رفت کی پیمائش کی جائے گی۔

  • Peshawar Education Reforms: Recruitments in Two Weeks

    Peshawar Education Reforms: Recruitments in Two Weeks

    Peshawar — The Education Department has ordered clear and immediate changes across all of its offices, launching a package of major decisions aimed at improving the education system and making the department’s administrative performance more transparent.

    According to the department, the reforms are part of a wider effort to improve public facilities and the delivery of services to citizens. Officials have been told that the changes must be visible in practice, not confined to paperwork, and that the performance of every office will now be watched more closely.

    Recruitments to finish within two weeks

    The most urgent instruction concerns recruitment. Officials have been directed to complete all remaining recruitment processes in the department within the next two weeks in any case. To keep the work on track, weekly progress reports will be submitted so that the pace of recruitment can be reviewed regularly.

    The two-week deadline applies to every recruitment process still pending in the department. The weekly reporting is intended to make sure delays are spotted early and addressed before they grow into longer backlogs.

    Development projects and the GGRM timeline

    The department has also decided to revise the timelines of activities under the GGRM project and prepare a new schedule, so that the development process can move faster. The review is meant to remove bottlenecks and bring the project’s work back on a quicker timetable.

    In a separate decision, the department’s ongoing and completed development projects will be highlighted in the media so that information about them reaches the public. Responsibility for effective publicity of the projects has been given to the Communication Specialist.

    Private schools and outsourcing

    Two further meetings have been ordered. One meeting will consider matters related to the Private Schools Regulatory Authority, while another will finalise matters concerning the outsourcing of government schools. Both subjects will be taken up separately so that each receives detailed attention.

    The government has stated its resolve to provide better education facilities to the public and to bring fast and transparent improvement in the department’s performance. Officials say the reforms announced in Peshawar are the first step in that direction, with progress to be measured through the weekly reports now required.

  • خیبر پختونخوا میں ملاوٹ مافیا کے خلاف بڑا کریک ڈاؤن

    خیبر پختونخوا میں ملاوٹ مافیا کے خلاف بڑا کریک ڈاؤن

    خیبر پختونخوا فوڈ سیفٹی اینڈ حلال فوڈ اتھارٹی نے صوبے بھر میں ملاوٹ مافیا کے خلاف بڑے پیمانے پر کریک ڈاؤن شروع کر دیا ہے۔ پشاور، بونیر اور ہری پور میں مربوط کارروائیوں کے دوران ہزاروں کلو گرام مضر صحت گوشت اور جعلی شہد برآمد کیا گیا۔ یہ کارروائیاں چیف سیکرٹری اور گورنر خیبر پختونخوا کے مشیر برائے خوراک، داخلہ و قبائلی امور اور وومن ایمپاورمنٹ کفایت اللہ کی ہدایات پر کی گئیں، اور عوامی صحت سے کھیلنے والوں کے خلاف قانونی کارروائی شروع کر دی گئی ہے۔

    پشاور میں مسافر بس سے مضر صحت گوشت برآمد

    خفیہ اطلاعات پر فوڈ سیفٹی ٹیموں نے پشاور کے بس ٹرمینلز پر آدھی رات کو ایک مسافر بس کی چیکنگ کی، جہاں سے تقریباً 1500 کلو گرام مضر صحت اور خراب گوشت کی بڑی کھیپ برآمد ہوئی۔ برآمد شدہ گوشت میں گائے کا گوشت، کلیجی، اوجھڑی اور زبانیں شامل تھیں۔ لیبارٹری تجزیے میں گوشت غیر معیاری اور فوڈ سیفٹی قوانین کے خلاف ثابت ہونے پر اسے موقع پر تلف کر دیا گیا، جبکہ ذمہ داروں پر بھاری جرمانہ عائد کیا گیا۔

    بونیر میں جعلی شہد بنانے والا گروہ گرفتار

    بونیر میں فوڈ اتھارٹی اور ضلعی انتظامیہ نے مشترکہ کارروائی کرتے ہوئے ایک گھر میں جعلی شہد تیار کرنے والے گروہ کو پکڑ لیا۔ کارروائی کے دوران 2550 کلو گرام جعلی شہد، 1300 کلو گرام چینی، مصنوعی چھتے اور جعلی شہد کی تیاری میں استعمال ہونے والا دیگر سامان برآمد کر لیا گیا۔ جعلی شہد تیار کرنے والے یونٹ کو سیل کر کے مالکان کے خلاف فوڈ سیفٹی ایکٹ کے تحت قانونی کارروائی عمل میں لائی گئی، جبکہ ملزمان کو جیل منتقل کر دیا گیا۔

    بونیر ہی میں ایک اور کارروائی کے دوران ایک مشروب میں برکس کی مقدار مقررہ معیار سے کم پائے جانے پر 288 بوتلیں سرکاری تحویل میں لے لی گئیں۔ حکام کے مطابق غیر معیاری مشروبات کی فروخت روکنے کے لیے نگرانی کا عمل جاری ہے۔

    ہری پور میں بدبودار تیل تلف

    ہری پور میں فوڈ سیفٹی ٹیم نے پاپڑ بنانے والے ایک یونٹ کا معائنہ کیا، جہاں فوڈ سیفٹی کے مقررہ ضابطوں اور ایس او پیز کی خلاف ورزی سامنے آئی۔ کارروائی کے دوران یونٹ پر بھاری جرمانہ عائد کیا گیا، جبکہ 250 لیٹر مضر صحت اور بدبودار تیل برآمد کر کے تلف کر دیا گیا۔

    ملاوٹ کسی صورت برداشت نہیں کی جائے گی، مشیر خوراک

    مشیر خوراک کفایت اللہ نے کارروائیوں کو جاری رکھنے کی ہدایت کرتے ہوئے واضح کیا ہے کہ خوراک میں ملاوٹ، جعلی اشیاء کی تیاری اور فوڈ سیفٹی قوانین کی خلاف ورزی کسی صورت برداشت نہیں کی جائے گی۔ ان کا کہنا تھا کہ عوام کو محفوظ اور معیاری خوراک کی فراہمی حکومت کی اولین ترجیح ہے اور انسانی صحت سے کھیلنے والے عناصر کے خلاف بلاامتیاز کارروائی جاری رکھی جائے گی۔

    بسوں کے ذریعے مضر صحت گوشت کی ترسیل، گھروں میں جعلی شہد کی تیاری اور غیر معیاری خوردونوش اشیاء کی پیداوار جیسے معاملات سامنے آنے کے بعد متعلقہ حکام نے خوراک کے کاروبار سے وابستہ یونٹس کی نگرانی مزید سخت کرنے پر زور دیا ہے، تاکہ ایسی اشیاء صارفین تک پہنچنے سے پہلے پکڑی جا سکیں۔

  • KP Food Authority Cracks Down on Adulteration Mafia

    KP Food Authority Cracks Down on Adulteration Mafia

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority has launched a large-scale crackdown on the adulteration mafia across the province, seizing thousands of kilogrammes of harmful meat and fake honey in coordinated operations in Peshawar, Buner and Haripur. The action was taken on the directives of the Chief Secretary and Kifayatullah, Adviser to the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Food, Home and Tribal Affairs and Women Empowerment, and legal proceedings have been started against those found playing with public health.

    Harmful meat seized from a passenger bus in Peshawar

    Acting on secret information, food safety teams checked a passenger bus at bus terminals in Peshawar at midnight and recovered about 1,500 kilogrammes of harmful and spoiled meat. The seized meat included beef, liver, tripe and tongues. Laboratory analysis found the meat substandard and in violation of food safety laws, after which it was destroyed on the spot and a heavy fine was imposed on those responsible.

    Fake honey factory busted in Buner

    In Buner, the Food Authority and the district administration jointly raided a house where a gang was manufacturing fake honey. The operation recovered 2,550 kilogrammes of fake honey, 1,300 kilogrammes of sugar, artificial honeycombs and other material used in making fake honey. The unit was sealed, legal action was initiated under the Food Safety Act, and the accused were sent to jail.

    In a separate action in Buner, officials seized 288 bottles of a drink into official custody after tests found the Brix level — the sugar content — below the prescribed standard. Officials said monitoring continues to stop the sale of substandard drinks in the district.

    Foul-smelling oil destroyed in Haripur

    In Haripur, a food safety team inspected a papad-making unit and found violations of food safety rules and standard operating procedures. A heavy fine was imposed on the unit, and 250 litres of harmful, foul-smelling oil recovered during the inspection was destroyed.

    No tolerance for adulteration, says adviser

    Adviser Kifayatullah has directed that the operations continue, making it clear that adulteration, the production of fake items and violations of food safety laws will not be tolerated in any case. He said providing safe and quality food to the public is the government’s top priority and that indiscriminate action against those playing with public health will continue.

    The cases — harmful meat transported by buses, fake honey made in houses and substandard food production — have prompted the authorities to stress stricter monitoring of food businesses across the province, so that such practices are caught before they reach consumers.

  • Peshawar Police Ban Private Jirgas in Hotels, Halls

    Peshawar Police Ban Private Jirgas in Hotels, Halls

    Peshawar police have banned private jirgas across the provincial capital, warning that hotels and marriage halls hosting such gatherings will be sealed. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Dr Mian Saeed Ahmed issued the order while chairing a performance review meeting at the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines, where senior officers reviewed the city’s law and order situation and the force’s recent performance.

    The CCPO made it clear that private jirgas would not be tolerated at hotels, marriage halls or any other place in the city. He said legal action would be taken against anyone found violating the ban, and the hotel or hall where a jirga was held would be sealed immediately.

    SSP Operations Farhan Khan, SSP Investigation Dr Muhammad Sami Malik, the SP Rural Division, sub-divisional police officers and station house officers attended the meeting. The officers carried out a detailed review of the law and order situation in the city and of police performance.

    Dr Ahmed also ordered indiscriminate action under a zero-tolerance policy against street criminals, drug dealers, moneylenders, gamblers and proclaimed offenders. He imposed a strict ban on aerial firing and the display of weapons at weddings and other celebrations, and directed divisional officers to personally check police patrolling in their areas. He said providing timely justice and protection to the public was the force’s priority, and warned that negligence would invite departmental action.

    The directive came days after a jirga gathering in Peshawar turned violent. Police said two people were killed and two others injured on 6 November, when an argument during a jirga over a property and financial dispute escalated into gunfire near Kabootar Chowk on Ring Road, within the limits of the Shahpur police station.

    Private jirgas have long operated as informal councils settling local disputes, but the Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that jirgas and panchayats have no legal standing to decide civil or criminal cases. The court said they may act only as voluntary arbitration or mediation forums in civil disputes between consenting parties. Peshawar police have said disputes should instead be taken to the police’s dispute resolution councils or the courts. The CCPO has previously said the aim is not to end Pashtun traditions but to stop their misuse, noting that some people have turned jirgas into a business and that armed men at such gatherings pose a threat to peace.

  • Mystery Illness Kills Five Children of One Family in Khyber

    Mystery Illness Kills Five Children of One Family in Khyber

    Five children from a single family have died after falling ill with a mysterious disease in Khyber district, while two other children from the same household are being treated in hospital in Peshawar.

    Seven children of Shah Ji, a resident of Qaziano Kalay in Bazaar Zakha Khel tehsil, fell ill within a short period. Five of them, three girls and two boys, all under the age of five, died on the way to hospitals in Peshawar.

    The two surviving children are receiving treatment at Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar, where doctors are monitoring their condition.

    According to initial reports, medical tests carried out so far have not identified the cause of the illness, and health officials say the reason for the sudden sickness remains unknown.

    Deputy Commissioner Khyber Shahid Ali said a special team of the district administration acted quickly to shift the children to Peshawar for treatment after the family reported the illness.

    The deaths have caused grief and alarm in the area, with residents calling on health authorities to investigate the cause urgently and to take steps to protect other children in the village.

    Officials say samples have been collected and further tests are under way, and the district administration is in contact with health teams to trace the source of the illness.

    Health officials say that when the cause of a sudden illness is unknown, samples are usually sent to laboratories for detailed testing, while medical teams visit the affected area to check water, food and other possible sources. Such investigations can take time, and officials have urged residents not to speculate until results are available.

    The district administration said it was monitoring the condition of the two surviving children closely and that medical staff at Hayatabad Medical Complex were providing them with full care. Families in the area have been advised to seek medical help immediately if any child shows similar symptoms.

    Local residents have asked the authorities to send a medical team to the village to examine other children and to ensure that clean drinking water and basic health facilities are available. Officials said a health team would visit the area as part of the investigation.

  • گورنر کنڈی: پی ٹی آئی حکومت دہشتگردی کیخلاف سنجیدہ نہیں تھی

    گورنر کنڈی: پی ٹی آئی حکومت دہشتگردی کیخلاف سنجیدہ نہیں تھی

    خیبر پختونخوا کے گورنر فیصل کریم کنڈی نے کہا ہے کہ صوبے میں پی ٹی آئی کی حکومت دہشتگردی کے خلاف جنگ میں سنجیدہ نہیں تھی، اور ریاست اکیلی دہشتگردی کا مقابلہ نہیں کر سکتی، تمام سیاسی جماعتوں کو مل کر کھڑا ہونا ہوگا۔ پشاور میں گورنر ہاؤس میں جمعے کو صحافیوں سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئے انہوں نے کہا کہ صوبے میں دہشتگردی اس لیے دوبارہ سر اٹھا رہی ہے کیونکہ پی ٹی آئی حکومت اس کے خلاف کوئی مناسب حکمت عملی تیار کرنے میں ناکام رہی۔

    گورنر نے کہا کہ دہشتگرد اس لیے واپس آئے کیونکہ سابقہ پی ٹی آئی حکومت انہیں واپس لائی تھی۔ انہوں نے صوبائی حکومت کے وفاق کے ساتھ رویے پر بھی تنقید کی اور کہا کہ اس نے دہشتگردی سے لڑنے کے بجائے اپنے تمام وسائل مرکز کے خلاف استعمال کیے۔

    کنڈی نے کہا کہ مرکز خیبر پختونخوا میں گورنر راج نہیں چاہتا اور وزیراعلیٰ سہیل آفریدی کو مکمل تعاون دیا جانا چاہیے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ پی ٹی آئی کے صوبائی اسمبلی میں 90 ارکان ہیں اور اسے پورا موقع دیا جانا چاہیے، دو سال بعد اس کی کارکردگی عوام کے سامنے ہوگی۔

    ان کے بقول صوبے میں پی ٹی آئی حکومت کمزور ہے اور اسے مکمل تعاون ملنا چاہیے تاکہ اسے یہ شکایت کرنے کا موقع نہ ملے کہ وفاقی حکومت اس کی مدد نہیں کر رہی۔ گورنر نے کہا کہ صوبائی حکومت کو اس کا حق ملنا چاہیے اور وفاق اس کی بھرپور معاونت کرے گا۔

    افغان مہاجرین کے بارے میں بات کرتے ہوئے گورنر نے کہا کہ پاکستان دنیا کا واحد ملک ہے جہاں داخل ہونے کے لیے کسی سے پاسپورٹ یا ویزا نہیں مانگا گیا، اور حکومت کو ان افغانوں کو واپس بھیجنا چاہیے جو پاکستان کی سلامتی کے لیے خطرہ بن گئے ہیں۔

    گورنر نے زور دیا کہ دہشتگردی کے خلاف جنگ صرف حکومت کی ذمہ داری نہیں، بلکہ اس کے لیے تمام سیاسی جماعتوں کو ایک پیج پر آنا ہوگا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ جب تک سب مل کر اس چیلنج کا مقابلہ نہیں کریں گے، صوبے میں امن قائم کرنا مشکل رہے گا۔

  • No Talks with Those Who Take Up Arms, Says Kundi

    No Talks with Those Who Take Up Arms, Says Kundi

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has drawn a firm line on who decides the province’s future, declaring that its policies will now be set in Islamabad rather than in Jalalabad or Kandahar. Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar on Sunday, he said decisions concerning the province must be made within Pakistan, and that the federal government’s decisions would be implemented in full.

    The governor left no doubt about his stance on militancy, saying there could be no negotiations with those who take up arms against the state. He expressed full support for operations against terrorism, describing intelligence-based operations as essential to restoring peace in the province. “We are standing at a point where there is no room for turning back, and defeat is not an option for us,” he said.

    Kundi criticised the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government in the province, saying it had not been serious about eliminating terrorism. He claimed that militants who had fled to Afghanistan were later resettled in the province, and stressed the need for a coordinated strategy to eliminate terrorism once and for all.

    The briefing also set out the money behind the security effort: Rs70 billion for the police and the Counter Terrorism Department this year, including Rs59.8 billion for police infrastructure and Rs10.3 billion for the department. The province had sought Rs160 billion for its security needs, a demand the federal government endorsed.

    The plan also includes faceless anti-terrorism courts for the trial of terrorism suspects, so the identities of judges, witnesses and others involved in cases stay confidential. The province aims to raise the Counter Terrorism Department’s capacity from 12 per cent to 37 per cent and overall police capacity to 75 per cent, and to fill 17,000 vacant police posts.

    The briefing heard that 2,438 people, including 1,003 military personnel, 627 police personnel and 808 civilians, had lost their lives in the province from 2024 to September 2026. Officials said the previous provincial government had approved Rs6.4 billion for 22 districts but released only Rs1 billion of it.

    With the province’s security challenges at the top of the agenda, the governor’s message was that the fight against terrorism would continue, and that it would be directed from within Pakistan.