Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati has announced that the house’s special committee on security will hold another meeting to discuss the province’s worsening law and order situation.
Swati said the committee would present its assessment of the security situation based on the information and evidence presented during its proceedings, while relevant institutions would also put forward their positions.
He said it was important to review the process initiated by the KP Assembly before the federal government placed responsibility for the province’s security situation on the provincial administration.
The speaker said the assembly had earlier convened a peace jirga attended by representatives of all political parties, which issued a unanimous declaration. Following the declaration, the house formed a special security committee to examine the province’s security challenges.
He said senior provincial officials, including the inspector general of police, counterterrorism department officials, the additional chief secretary (home), a representative of the home department and the chief secretary, had briefed parliamentary leaders from political parties during the committee’s proceedings.
According to Swati, the federal leadership had also been informed about the parliamentary process. Letters were sent to the prime minister, Senate chairman, National Assembly speaker and interior minister, informing them that the assembly was working towards comprehensive parliamentary recommendations on security.
Corps commander’s briefing
Swati said the committee was awaiting a briefing from one key stakeholder — the corps commander of Peshawar. He said he had spoken to the corps commander, who had assured him that he would attend the committee meeting.
The speaker said the special committee would finalise its recommendations after receiving the remaining briefing. The recommendations would then be presented before the assembly for approval before being forwarded to the provincial and federal governments.
He said the process was aimed at clearly defining institutional responsibilities, policies and practical measures to address the security situation.
“People in KP want peace,” Swati said, stressing that all relevant stakeholders should work towards a common solution while fulfilling their respective responsibilities.
He also called for establishing the facts, clarifying the roles of institutions and jointly developing a strategy for peace through implementation of the National Action Plan.
The KP Assembly formed a 40-member special committee on Sept 8, 2025, to review the overall security situation in the province.
In a letter to the Peshawar corps commander dated Jan 8, Swati said the committee wanted a detailed briefing from the headquarters of XI Corps, particularly regarding ongoing operations by the federal government and law enforcement agencies in the merged tribal districts.
He acknowledged the importance of security operations but said military action alone, without political, social and development measures, might not provide lasting peace and stability and could contribute to further unrest.
Swati also referred to a peace jirga held on Dec 12, 2025, which unanimously approved a declaration outlining a roadmap for long-term peace and stability in KP. The declaration was subsequently shared with the federal government.
He has requested that the corps commander’s briefing be held in-camera at the KP Assembly at a mutually agreed date and time.
