PM leads Peshawar security review as KP counterterrorism drive intensifies

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level apex committee meeting at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor House in Peshawar on Thursday to review the province’s security situation and the measures being taken against terrorism. The visit comes amid heightened scrutiny of law and order across the province.

The meeting brought together the KP governor, federal and provincial representatives, senior government officials and military leadership. Participants were briefed on current security conditions, ongoing counterterrorism operations and the coordination required among institutions responsible for restoring stability.

Officials were expected to examine the operational capacity of the provincial police, Counter-Terrorism Department and other law-enforcement bodies. The discussion also covered the resources, intelligence coordination and administrative support needed to respond more effectively to militant threats.

The meeting marked the prime minister’s first visit to Peshawar since emergency measures and governor’s rule were imposed in KP on October 11. The federal government justified the intervention by pointing to deteriorating security, an increase in militant violence and what it described as inadequate cooperation from the suspended provincial administration.

The emergency arrangements transferred provincial executive responsibilities to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, supported by an advisory council. The former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led provincial government rejected the federal government’s allegations and has challenged the intervention, adding a major constitutional and political dimension to the security crisis.

A provincial apex committee meeting held shortly after the emergency measures were introduced had already called for coordinated action against terrorism. That forum supported strengthening the police and counterterrorism institutions through additional personnel, equipment, vehicles and weapons while also addressing conditions in terrorism-affected districts.

The latest review is significant because KP remains at the centre of Pakistan’s militant threat, particularly in districts near the Afghan border. Repeated attacks on civilians, police and security installations have increased pressure on authorities to improve intelligence sharing and produce a unified strategy extending beyond individual operations.

The government also faces the challenge of separating urgent security requirements from the political dispute surrounding the suspension of the elected provincial administration. Decisions emerging from the meeting will be judged not only by their immediate operational impact but also by whether they preserve institutional accountability and public confidence.

Further announcements are expected after officials complete the security assessment and agree on follow-up measures. The effectiveness of the resulting strategy will depend on sustained coordination, adequate support for frontline agencies and demonstrable improvements in safety across affected parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.