Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have confirmed that more than eight thousand Khawarij terrorists are currently active across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, exploiting civilian populations as cover to launch attacks on Pakistan’s security forces, while talking to Geo News.
According to IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, these militants infiltrated from Afghanistan through unfrequented routes and have dispersed into multiple districts, including Peshawar, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Swat, Shangla, and the merged tribal districts. In Bajaur and Khyber alone, intelligence estimates indicate the presence of over eight hundred terrorists.
Officials revealed that Khawarij groups have been setting up illegal checkpoints along key arteries such as the CPEC route, Tank region, and the D.I. Khan–Bannu corridor, targeting civilians and ambushing security convoys. By hiding among ordinary residents, the terrorists have made counter-operations challenging, at times forcing security forces to sustain operational losses in their fight against the insurgents.
The concerns of cross-border infiltration were also echoed by tribal elders during jirgas chaired by Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Elders expressed deep frustration over the unchecked flow of militants from Afghanistan and demanded that the provincial government take up the matter directly with the Kabul administration.
Security forces, however, have responded with strength. In North Waziristan and Bajaur, more than 80 infiltrators have been eliminated in recent weeks alone. Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zulfiqar Hameed, while speaking to Geo News, confirmed that the provincial police remain fully alert to Khawarij activity. “In D.I. Khan, Lakki Marwat, Bajaur, Waziristan, Khyber, Bannu, and Dir, multiple Khawarij have been neutralized. Last month alone, during 190 operations, 39 Khawarij were killed and 110 arrested,” he stated.
The IGP added that the Khawarij’s attempts to set up checkpoints on public roads have been taken with utmost seriousness. In response, day-and-night patrols have been initiated in collaboration with Motorway Police to secure CPEC and other critical routes.
Echoing the government’s stance, Adviser to Chief Minister on Information, Barrister Saif, stressed that the terrorists are infiltrating from Afghanistan, but the state is resolutely confronting the menace. “The provincial government and our law enforcement agencies are standing firm against the Khawarij. There will be no let-up until this scourge is eradicated,” he declared.
The latest disclosures highlight both the scale of the Khawarij threat and the unwavering resolve of Pakistan’s security forces and civilian administration to dismantle it. With tribal communities demanding accountability from across the border and security forces tightening their grip, the Khawarij presence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faces mounting pressure from all sides.
