PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said he will not back down from his position despite threats of imposing governor’s rule in the province.
Speaking at a meeting on law and order in Peshawar, Afridi said the people, police and armed forces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had made significant sacrifices for peace.
He said the province could restore peace within 100 days if a new security policy was formulated in consultation with all relevant stakeholders and properly implemented.
Afridi called for the provincial government, administration, police and other stakeholders to be taken into confidence before any policy decisions are made.
He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should not be made a victim of political disputes and stressed that changes in the existing security policy were necessary.
Afridi said he would not retreat from his position because of threats of governor’s rule or an emergency. He added that no action contrary to the wishes and public mandate of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be acceptable.
His remarks came amid growing tensions between the federal and provincial governments over security policy and the possibility of imposing governor’s rule in the province. Federal officials have said such a measure could be considered if constitutional requirements are met.