Peshawar  -  Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Provincial Chairman Sikandar Hayat Sherpao on Wednesday said that the poor law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is worsening due to the indifference of the incumbent provincial government.

Addressing a news conference at Watan Kor, he cited a recent report from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), according to which 636 acts of subversion had taken place across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2024 so far. He added that 257 people, including personnel from the security forces, had been targeted in these attacks.

Providing a breakdown of the attacks, he said that, on average, 57 attacks occurred each month, with nearly two attacks per day. He noted that these figures were similar to those from 2009, adding that 2023 was also the worst year in terms of terror attacks, with 631 acts of subversion carried out and hundreds of people targeted. Expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, Sikandar Sherpao said that the provincial government had completely failed to fulfil its responsibility regarding law and order. He stated that poor governance, combined with a worsening security situation, had multiplied the challenges faced by the province.

The QWP provincial chairman said that law and order in the Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, and Malakand divisions was unsatisfactory. He pointed out that the PTI had been ruling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2013 but had failed to secure the rights of the province.

Sikandar Sherpao praised the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for hosting the multi-party conference on law and order, saying that the provincial government should have held a special meeting to discuss this issue. He added that the PTI was focused on political point-scoring and staging protests while the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were receiving phone calls for extortion.

He also mentioned that the provincial government’s payment of extortion money to kidnappers had created unrest among the people.

Commenting on the statement made by Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, Advisor to the Chief Minister on Information, the QWP leader said that peace could not be restored through lip service but required hard work and practical steps.

Raising a question, he asked who would protect the common people if judges and government officers were not safe in the province. He emphasized that lawlessness was not confined to the southern belt and Kurram, but the entire province, including Malakand Division, was facing this challenge. He added that 50 percent of the province’s population had been left at the mercy of terrorists. “The terrorists begin to call the shots after sunset in these areas where the government’s writ has shrunk,” he said.

He also criticised the government’s compensation policy, calling it ironic that ordinary people were given little compensation, while the families of PTI workers received Rs10 million. He mentioned that the closure of roads in Kurram had led to shortages of food and medicine in the tribal district.