DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Nov 24, 2025: KPGovernor Faisal Karim Kundi has voiced serious concern over the worsening security climate in the province, cautioning that instability in the southern belt has persisted for years and that the latest surge in militant attacks has reached a critical point.
Speaking to Dawn during a visit to Dera Ismail Khan, the governor said the security situation in districts including Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, North and South Waziristan, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Kohat, Karak and Kurram had remained volatile. He stressed that the unrest was not a recent development but part of a prolonged cycle of violence affecting the region.
Kundi alleged that hostile foreign intelligence networks were attempting to reignite militancy inside Pakistan. He claimed that India and Israel were “actively using Afghanistan’s territory” to create instability, asserting that this had contributed to an uptick in terrorist incidents. According to him, personnel from the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, Frontier Constabulary and police were continuing to lose their lives in the line of duty on an almost daily basis, underscoring the severity of the threat.
Addressing counterterrorism efforts, the governor said intelligence-based operations remained the most appropriate approach under current circumstances. He argued that a full-scale military operation was neither feasible nor advisable, adding that targeted, intelligence-led actions were yielding results. However, he acknowledged that despite their commitment, provincial police forces lacked the resources needed to confront well-equipped militant groups.
Kundi also discussed his recent meeting with a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) delegation, saying he had conveyed that KP could not afford prolonged confrontation with the federal government. Political disputes with Islamabad, he said, should be resolved through constitutional processes and rational dialogue. He urged that financial shortfalls related to the former Fata districts and other outstanding issues be addressed through the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award mechanism and parliamentary forums.
“Our province cannot bear the cost of political hostilities with Islamabad,” Kundi says. https://t.co/p6jHjy5Ncz
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) November 24, 2025
Commenting on PTI’s protest plans, the governor said peaceful demonstrations were a democratic right but warned that any move to damage public property or march on Islamabad would be counterproductive.
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Turning to development matters, he criticised the previous provincial administration for what he described as its failure to deliver major projects for the region. He noted progress on the long-delayed Chashma Left Bank Canal project, saying tenders were expected soon and that the initiative would bring significant change to the southern districts. He also announced that the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), with support from the Sindh government and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, would establish a kidney treatment facility in Dera Ismail Khan.
The governor concluded that peace, development and strong cooperation between provincial and federal institutions were vital for the province’s long-term stability.
