PESHAWAR, Sep 26 (APP):Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi has said that poverty was the root cause of social disparities and extremism, stressing that equality, justice and collective efforts were essential to eradicate it. He added that a prosperous and peaceful future was directly linked to economic and social development.Addressing as chief guest at a provincial conference titled “Strong Communities and Combating Extremism through Poverty Reduction Programs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”, organized by the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) in collaboration with the KP Centre of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) and Paigham-e-Pakistan at Governor House Peshawar on Friday, the Governor said unemployment, poverty and lack of opportunities breed despair and exploitation.
Empowering communities economically and socially, he said, would serve as the strongest shield against extremism.
The conference was attended by MNA and Prime Minister’s Youth Program focal person Syeda Aamna Batool, KP Assembly members, Secretary National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Humera Zia Mufti, PPAF CEO Nadir Gul Bareech, KP Red Crescent Society Chairman Farzand Ali Wazir, representatives of civil society organizations and a large number of women.
On the occasion, Governor Kundi visited stalls showcasing the province’s culture, distributed certificates among trained youth, and handed out interest-free loan cheques to skilled women. He also inaugurated two PPAF projects an infrastructure scheme and an olive project.
In his remarks, the Governor highlighted that the positive image of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is still alive and must be further promoted through a system based on equality and justice.
He emphasized narrowing the gap between the federation and provinces, ensuring fair distribution of resources, and extending development benefits to every corner of KP as key government priorities.
Appreciating PPAF’s efforts, Governor Kundi said the organization had made it its mission to serve the most vulnerable segments of society.
“Projecting the province’s soft image is our priority, and together we must work for a developed and prosperous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.
He assured full cooperation of Governor House with the conference organizers. At the end of the event, the Governor presented shields to MNA Syeda Aamna Batool, Secretary Humera Zia, and PPAF CEO Nadir Gul.
![PESHAWAR, JAN 12 /DNA/ - Owing to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's precarious law and order circumstances, the provincial assembly has written a letter to the Peshawar corps commander seeking an in-camera briefing on ongoing operations and the security situation in the province. "The [special] Committee desires to receive a detailed briefing from Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, particularly in the context of the ongoing operations being conducted by the federal government and LEAs in the merged districts of KP," reads the letter issued by KP Assembly Deputy Secretary Tariq Noor, while referring to the Special Committee (on Security) constituted by the house. The committee features more than 40 members, including the leader of the house, the leader of the opposition and provincial ministers, along with parliamentary leaders of respective political parties. The letter, dated January 8, also points out that the committee has received detailed briefings from key stakeholders, including the chief secretary, the additional chief secretary, the IGP, and now seeks a briefing as part of the consultative process. Letter written by KP Assemblys deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter Letter written by KP Assembly's deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter The KP Assembly's request for a briefing from a senior army commander comes as the province, as stated by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in a recent media briefing, accounted for nearly 71% of all the terrorist incidents in 2025. The overwhelming share of KP in facing terror incidents, as per the military's spokesperson, was due to a "politically conducive environment and the flourishing political-criminal-terror-nexus" in the province. Noting that the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP was resisting counterterrorism efforts at every forum — a claim denied by the PTI — Lt Gen Chaudhry highlighted that the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country in 2025, of which 14,658 IBOs were conducted in KP. Out of the total 5,397 terrorism incidents reported nationwide in the previous year, as many as 3,811 incidents occurred in KP. The issue of terrorism and military operations has been a point of contention between the PTI's KP government and the Centre in recent times, where the former has time and again stressed a political solution and dialogue, whereas the latter has pressed on with taking action against the terrorists. This is also reflected by the KP Assembly's letter to the Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, which says that the Special Committee (on Security) "acknowledges the importance of security measures but considers that operation alone without broader political, social and developmental initiatives may not ensure suitable peace and stability and could risk further unrest in the province".](https://islamabadpost.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/security-forces-218x150.jpg "KP Assembly seeks Peshawar corps commander’s in-camera briefing on security situation")
