Kundi puts KP development and counterterrorism at top of agenda

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has identified economic development and the elimination of terrorism as the government’s leading priorities for the province. He outlined the position while speaking to reporters after meeting the prime minister’s adviser on interior affairs, Pervez Khattak, in Manki Sharif, Nowshera.

Kundi said the provincial administration had become dysfunctional and had stopped engaging with the federal government. He argued that political and administrative disagreements should be addressed through dialogue in which each side presents its position with clear reasoning and attempts to build agreement.

The meeting between Kundi and Khattak covered Pakistan’s broader political environment, recent developments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other matters affecting the province. Their discussion came as the provincial leadership faces pressure to restore effective coordination between Peshawar and Islamabad on governance, security and public spending.

Kundi also referred to an Apex Committee meeting in Peshawar attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and their respective teams. He described it as the largest such meeting held in the provincial capital and said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s position was presented before the national leadership.

According to the governor, the federal government subsequently announced a Rs160 billion development package for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and addressed the province’s wheat-related issue. He emphasised that the development package was separate from money owed to the province under the National Finance Commission award.

The distinction is financially significant because an additional development package does not replace Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s constitutional share of federal revenues. Kundi expressed hope that the outstanding NFC allocations would be released soon, while saying Islamabad had assured the province that required funds would be provided when formally requested.

Kundi maintained that there was no justification for withholding provincial funding or allowing development work to stop. His remarks place fiscal coordination alongside counterterrorism, reflecting the argument that security planning and public investment must advance together if the province is to achieve sustained stability.

The governor said political leaders and advisers would be included in efforts aimed at provincial development and public welfare. The immediate test will be whether the stated commitment produces measurable progress on federal-provincial coordination, the release of outstanding funds and implementation of the announced development package.