Muhammad Amanullah
Date: October 1, 2026 The True Post (Web News) —Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik has claimed that some members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s cabinet contact the federal government and urge it to find a way out of the current situation. However, he said that a resolution appears difficult because of the chief minister’s firm stance.
Speaking on the private television programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, Malik said that some individuals within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had been reaching out, but progress was being hindered by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s position and approach.
Contacts Within PTI
The Minister of State for Law said that PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and other party leaders also wanted communication to take place so that the situation could move forward through dialogue.
He said channels of communication and discussion should remain open in political matters. However, he questioned who would guarantee that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi could be persuaded and who would be held responsible if the same situation emerged again after negotiations.
Firm Position
According to Aqeel Malik, some PTI leaders are interested in establishing contact, but the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister’s firm position makes a resolution appear unlikely at present.
He said communication was necessary to resolve the situation between the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments, adding that both sides would need to adopt a serious and constructive approach.
Criticism of the Provincial Government
The Minister of State for Law also questioned the performance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister. He asked how long the federal government would continue to bear the burden of what he described as the provincial government’s incompetence and failures.
Malik maintained that the provincial government was responsible for managing its administrative and governmental affairs effectively and taking practical steps to address its own challenges.
Security Cooperation
Barrister Aqeel Malik alleged that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi did not cooperate with security forces. He said cooperation between the provincial government and security institutions was necessary in view of the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He added that all relevant institutions should work together to combat terrorism and maintain peace in the province.
National Action Plan
The Minister of State for Law also alleged that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was not implementing the National Action Plan.
According to Malik, effective implementation of the national strategy against terrorism required full cooperation between the federal and provincial governments.
He said political differences should not obstruct security-related matters and that the provincial government should work jointly with federal institutions.
The Path to Negotiations
Malik’s remarks referred, on the one hand, to a desire among some PTI leaders to establish communication with the federal government and, on the other, identified Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s approach as an obstacle to progress.
He said that if a way forward was to be found through political engagement, all relevant parties would need to show flexibility in their positions. According to him, communication alone was not enough; trust and practical assurances were also necessary to make any potential negotiations productive.
Why the Issue Matters
Against the backdrop of differences between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the federal administration, Malik’s statement has brought political communication and security cooperation into focus.
The federal government has raised questions about the provincial government’s approach, while the reported willingness of some PTI leaders to establish contact has also emerged as part of the discussion.
Malik emphasised that the federal government considered provincial administrative performance, cooperation with security institutions and implementation of the National Action Plan to be important issues. He also described communication and dialogue as necessary for resolving the political situation.
