PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Wednesday reaffirmed his government’s resolve to root out terrorism, saying that no terrorist would be allowed to hide in civilian populations.
In a video message, the chief minister said security forces, police, and the provincial government would work jointly to restore peace in the merged districts, where law and order remains fragile.
“Terrorists are using residential areas as shields so they cannot be targeted, but we will not allow them to hide among civilians under any circumstances,” he asserted.
Gandapur warned that a deliberate conspiracy was being hatched to create mistrust between the people, the government, and security institutions. “The public must stand with the government and the forces so we can expose and foil these conspiracies,” he said.
He announced that jirgas will begin from August 2, where political, social, and tribal leaders will be consulted. “A grand jirga will follow to form a joint strategy against terrorism,” the CM added.
He further said that terrorists and their facilitators would be eliminated, and ongoing operations would be carried out in a way that minimises harm to the public.
However, Gandapur made it clear that “no one will be allowed to conduct operations here without approval,” stressing that “mass displacement and its damages are hard to compensate for”.
Separately, a meeting of the provincial apex committee, chaired by CM Gandapur, was also held in Peshawar. It was attended by the Corps Commander Peshawar, the chief secretary, inspector general of police, and members of the assembly from Bajaur, Khyber, and North Waziristan.
The meeting reviewed the security situation, particularly in the merged districts. Briefings were given on different dimensions of the current challenges, and tributes were paid to the civilians, police, and security personnel martyred in recent terror incidents.
The committee emphasised improving institutional coordination and regaining public trust to strengthen anti-terror efforts.
Gandapur reiterated that the province’s mineral resources belong to the people, stating: “No one has asked for control of them, nor will I hand it over to anyone.”
He sent a clear message to institutions and political parties that the government stood firmly with the people and that terrorism was a shared enemy that must be fought collectively.
