Kundi rules out talks with armed groups, backs intelligence operations

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said on Sunday the province would fight militancy through intelligence-based operations and ruled out talks with anyone who takes up arms against the state, saying the province's security policy is set in Islamabad rather than in Kabul, Kandahar or Jalalabad.

Speaking at a press briefing on the province's security situation in Peshawar, Kundi said the government had adopted a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and would respond to those who take up arms against the state.

He said the provincial government had sought Rs160 billion for security requirements and that the federal government backed the demand. Restoring peace was the government's top priority, he said, and the security forces and police would have its full support.

The briefing was told that security forces had killed 3,788 terrorists over the past three years. By September this year, 255 military personnel, 302 police personnel and 304 civilians had been killed, the forum was told.

Kundi said police would be given modern weapons and ammunition, and that salaries and compensation packages for the families of personnel killed in the line of duty would be improved. Steps taken by Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan would be considered for adoption through better coordination among the provinces, he added.

Officials at the briefing set out measures including extending the Counter Terrorism Department's operational jurisdiction to all 34 districts, establishing District Nerve Centres and setting up a Safe City Authority in 10 districts. Artificial intelligence tools would be used to counter what officials called false and fabricated narratives on social media, and Smart Front Desks are planned at 406 police stations in major cities.

The meeting decided to form Dispute Resolution Councils and Tribal Liaison Committees in every district, and to hold monthly open courts and regular jirgas. Improving police capacity, coordination between agencies and public trust in law enforcement were also discussed.

Kundi criticised the previous provincial government, saying it had not given the federal government adequate support in combating terrorism. He raised concern over what he described as its silence on statements by Afghan officials about taking control of Peshawar and on drone attacks from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

He said development projects benefit people only when their lives are secure, and that restoring public confidence and improving relations between police and citizens could win half the battle against terrorism. The provincial government, he said, would take political responsibility for security and give the police all possible support.