Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, has strongly criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government for rejecting bulletproof vehicles provided by the federal government, calling them “international standard” and questioning where the province spent Rs600 billion allocated for the fight against terrorism.
In response to KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s remarks, who claimed the vehicles were “substandard and outdated”, Talal Chaudhry said that the federal government has already provided Rs600 billion to the KP government over the years to support counter-terrorism operations.
“This amount was meant to strengthen civil armed forces, CTD, and forensic labs. To date, we have not received a clear answer on where these Rs600 billion were spent,” he said.
He added that despite the federal government’s provision of high-standard security vehicles, the KP administration returned them under the pretext of quality concerns.
“These are bulletproof vehicles built to international standards. They have proven effective in conflict zones and are currently being used by federal ministers and senior officials in terrorism-affected areas,” said Chaudhry.
The minister stated that wherever these vehicles have been deployed, casualties have been minimal.
“Neither the KP Police benefited from the Rs600 billion, nor are they being allowed to make use of what the federation is providing now. Brave officers and jawans of KP Police are being pushed unarmed against terrorists,” he said.
According to Chaudhry, the vehicles were provided by the Federal Interior Minister in recognition of the sacrifices made by the KP Police, who are “on the front lines in the war against terror.”
“These vehicles are intended to protect security personnel and intensify the fight against terrorism. Along with them, bulletproof vests, binoculars, and weapons were also procured to ensure a faster eradication of terrorism,” he added.
Talal Chaudhry also criticised the provincial leadership’s stance as immature and irresponsible.
“This line of thinking reflects an immature and underdeveloped mindset. Such individuals leading a province is unfair to the public. Their immature decisions are increasing the risks faced by our police forces,” he said.
He further alleged that the KP government does not seem genuinely interested in eliminating terrorism completely.
“The federal government is fully committed to assisting KP in the fight against terrorism. However, the childish thinking and political stubbornness of the provincial leadership are hindering national efforts,” Chaudhry said, reaffirming that the Centre would continue to support KP Police in the days to come.
It is worth noting that KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi earlier stated that the bulletproof vehicles sent by the federal government were outdated and substandard, which is why they were being returned.
