PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party has expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and held the provincial government responsible for the growing acts of terrorism in the province.

Addressing a press conference at Watan Kor, the party’s central secretariat, here on Wednesday, QWP provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao quoted a recent report of the Counter-Terrorism Department, according to which, 636 acts of subversion had taken place across the province in 2024 so far. He said 257 people, including personnel of security forces, were targeted in these attacks.

Giving a break-up of the attacks, he said on average 57 attacks took place in each month with almost two attacks per day.

The QWP provincial chief said these figures matched the attacks that took place in 2009, wherein terror acts had made lives of people miserable. He said 2023 was also worst in terms of terror attacks as 631 acts of subversion were carried out and hundreds of people were targeted.

Sikandar says PTI busy with political point-scoring, staging protests

Expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, Sikandar said the provincial government had failed to shoulder its responsibility to bring peace to the province. He said poor governance coupled with poor law and order had multiplied the challenges facing the province. He said law and order in Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Malakand divisions was not satisfactory.

The PTI, he said had been ruling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2013 but it failed to secure the rights of the province.

Mr Sikandar lauded the governor for hosting the multiparty conference on the law and order situation and said it was duty of the provincial government to hold a special meeting to discuss the issue. He said PTI was busy with political point-scoring and staging protests. He said people were receiving extortion calls, but the government was unmoved.

Commenting on the statement of adviser to chief minister on information Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, the QWP leader said peace could not be restored through lip service rather it needed hard work and practical measures.

He said who would protect the common people if judges and government officers were not safe in the province.

Sikandar said lawlessness was not confined to the southern belt and Kurram only, rather the entire province, including the Malakand division, was facing the challenge. He said terrorists called the shots after sunset in these areas where the government writ had shrunk.

He said it was ironic the government gave peanuts in the name of compensation to ordinary people, while the families of the PTI workers received Rs10 million. He said closure of roads in Kurram had led to shortage of food items and medicines in the tribal district.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2024