PESHAWAR: ‘Dispara­ging’ remarks from Khy­ber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Soh­ail Afridi, regarding ongoing security operations in the province, drew strong condemnation from politicians, religious leaders, and journalists on Friday.

The offending remarks came during CM Afridi’s interaction with the media outside Adiala jail a day earlier, after he was once again denied an audience with PTI founder Imran Khan.

During his media talk, he alleged that the sanctity of worship places was violated when sniffer dogs were brought there, while also making disparaging remarks about security personnel.

However, he claimed that despite everything, they still supported the security forces.

Reacting to the statement, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned Mr Afridi’s words, while Awami National Party (ANP) chief Senator Aimal Wali Khan termed it an “attempt to incite religious sentiments”.

“I condemn any rhetoric that seeks to undermine the honour and sacrifice of our armed forces,” the governor wrote on X. He said the brave sons of soil lay down their lives to protect our province and questioning their intent in sensational terms only damaged morale and public safety.

“The intelligence-based operations have been and will remain necessary to protect our people; these are conducted with the sole aim of safeguarding civilians and restoring peace. Political debate must not cross into actions or words that weaken our security institutions,” he said.

Mr Afridi should exercise restraint and place the safety and unity of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa above partisan posturing, he continued. “The security situation of our province demands that all political forces stand with our armed forces in pursuit of lasting peace and stability for our people. Ultimately, it is the people who will deliver accountability in the coming elections.”

Need for maturity

ANP President Aimal Wali Khan also cautioned Mr Afridi on Friday, reminding him that the position of chief minister required maturity. Mr Khan said taking a collision course by the CM of a province was absolutely not in the interest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that the chief minister’s statement was aimed at inciting religious sentiments and a sane person would not even imagine doing so. His remarks were disrespectful of mosques and would cause further frictions with the state institutions, he noted.

The ANP president said it was CM’s responsibility to reduce differences and misunderstandings instead of increasing them further. He questioned what would be the fate of the province in such a situation.

He said that Mr Afridi should fight a constitutional battle for his leadership through courts instead of confrontation and pay attention to the affairs of the province.

He said that the establishment should also respect mandate and the CM must get his protocol. However, he added, Mr Afridi, too, should better realise the importance of his position.

‘CM must tender apology’

Meanwhile, Baloch­istan CM Sarfaraz Bugti strongly reacted to the “irresponsible” statement of the KP CM, describing it as “an attempt to strengthen the enemy’s narrative”.

He also reminded his KP counterpart that the security forces restored peace from Balochistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by sacrificing thousands of lives. He said Mr Afridi should apologise to the nation and the families of the martyrs for his irresponsible statement, as the mockery of security institutions could not be tolerated.

The chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council also condemned CM Afridi’s remarks, calling them “misleading”.

“The speech made by KP CM regarding mosques is regrettable,” Maulana Tahir Ashrafi was quoted as saying. “The statement made by the KP CM is also an attempt to tarnish the image of Pakistan,” Maulana Ashrafi said.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2025