Peshawar – Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Thursday inaugurated and launched several development projects worth more than Rs12 billion during a one-day visit to Swat, aimed at strengthening higher education, public infrastructure, social services and policing.
The projects inaugurated included the Rs9.9 billion University of Computing Sciences and Information Technology at Kabal, the newly constructed Badalai Bridge, completed at a cost of Rs395 million, a Special Children School and Special Children Teacher Training Centre built at a cost of Rs214 million, and the Kabal Police Facilitation Centre.
The Chief Minister also performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the Wainai-Gatt Road project, which is expected to be completed at an estimated cost of Rs1.437 billion.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the University of Computing Sciences and Information Technology, Mr Afridi described the institution as the fulfilment of a long-standing vision championed by Murad Saeed. He said the land earmarked for the university had previously been occupied by land grabbers but was later recovered, clearing the way for the establishment of the institution.
He also announced that the remaining development work at Shaheed Arshad Sharif University and its affiliated campuses would receive full funding to ensure their early completion and expand access to quality higher education for the province’s youth.
Referring to the recently imposed taxes on Malakand Division and the merged districts, the Chief Minister reiterated the provincial government’s opposition to the move, describing it as contrary to the interests of local residents. He recalled that in 2018, then prime minister Imran Khan had exempted Malakand Division and the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) from taxation through a single executive decision. He urged the federal government to restore the tax exemption without delay instead of engaging in political point-scoring.
He added that a consultative meeting of parliamentarians from Malakand Division and the merged districts, along with representatives of all political parties, would be held later on Thursday to develop a unified stance on the issue. He reaffirmed that the provincial government would resist any additional tax burden on the people of these areas.
The Chief Minister said the 2026-27 fiscal year would be one of peace, development and prosperity for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Paying tribute to the sacrifices made by the people of the province and the police during more than two decades of counterterrorism operations, he noted that despite the loss of more than 80,000 lives and enormous financial costs, the province had once again witnessed a resurgence of insecurity.
He argued that if peace had not been achieved despite sustained security operations, substantial public expenditure and immense sacrifices, the effectiveness of the prevailing counterterrorism strategy warranted a comprehensive review. He called for an immediate reassessment of existing policies to ensure durable peace and long-term stability in the province.
Mr Afridi said the provincial government would oppose any policy that undermined the interests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, maintaining that the current approach had failed to deliver sustainable peace. He added that the province would continue to be governed in accordance with the vision of Imran Khan and the democratic mandate of its people, emphasising that peace remained essential for economic growth and public prosperity.
He said many citizens who genuinely desired peace were becoming increasingly frustrated with existing policies, describing the situation as deeply concerning. Lasting peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he added, would ultimately depend on the resilience and sacrifices of the people, the provincial police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).
The Chief Minister further asserted that if public policies were designed to serve vested interests rather than restore peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial government would oppose them through all constitutional and democratic means. Provincial Ministers Meena Khan Afridi and Dr Amjad, elected representatives from Swat, the Commissioner of Malakand Division and other senior government officials also attended the ceremony.
