ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 3,767 terrorism incidents resulting in 1,149 deaths and 2,595 injuries during the tenure of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, according to an official report prepared against the backdrop of the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in the province.
The report states that the fatalities included 550 security forces and law-enforcement personnel and 599 civilians, while the injured comprised 1,704 security personnel and 891 civilians.
The figures form a key part of the official assessment of the deteriorating security situation in the province, which the report attributes partly to shortcomings in provincial governance, counter-terrorism preparedness and coordination with federal security institutions.
According to the report, the provincial government’s response to the growing threat came under scrutiny over its handling of counter-terrorism efforts and its continued engagement in political confrontation with the federal government.
It states that since the PTI-led government assumed power in March 2024, it organised 18 major protest activities, including four long marches, while militancy was escalating in the province.
The report argues that greater attention should have been directed towards strengthening the provincial police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), improving operational capabilities and restoring the writ of the state.
It also points to significant gaps in the equipment and capacity of law-enforcement agencies despite more than Rs800 billion having been provided to the province between 2010 and 2026 for counter-terrorism and strengthening security institutions.
The reported deficiencies included modern weaponry, armoured vehicles, surveillance equipment, specialised training, technical manpower, forensic capabilities and dedicated CTD infrastructure.
The report further links the resurgence of militancy, in part, to the PTI government’s reconciliation policy towards militants in 2021. It also alleges that the provincial government demonstrated limited political ownership of counter-terrorism efforts and repeatedly expressed opposition to security operations.
The assessment places the province’s security crisis within a wider national context, noting that Pakistan was ranked the country most affected by terrorism in the Global Terrorism Index 2026, published by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace.
The report maintains that the deteriorating situation required stronger provincial leadership, improved counter-terrorism capacity and closer coordination between provincial and federal security institutions. The security figures and the report’s assessment are significant to the debate surrounding the federal government’s decision to impose emergency measures in KP. The report presents the provincial government’s handling of security as a central concern in the circumstances leading to the intervention.
