PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Akhtar Hayat Khan, the police chief of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, has alleged that 35 percent of the approximately 4,000 militants active in the region are Afghan nationals.
Speaking at a meeting with provincial lawmakers, Mr. Khan also revealed the existence of 188 militant groups operating in the province. He emphasized that these groups benefit from “uninterrupted logistical lines” extending across the border into Afghanistan.
Senior police officials at the meeting highlighted the militants’ strongholds in southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, and Lakki Marwat. The proximity of these areas to the Afghan border, combined with active terror networks, has made the region a hub of insurgent activity, they said.
The officials acknowledged the limitations faced by the police force in countering the insurgency. They admitted that the current security infrastructure is insufficient to withstand large-scale attacks on checkpoints and noted that police are unable to conduct patrols in many areas, leaving militants free to operate, especially at night.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani daily newspaper Dawn reported that the Inspector General of the Frontier Corps and the commander of Peshawar’s military corps are scheduled to brief lawmakers behind closed doors next week on the security situation in the region.
The escalating violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has underscored the challenges facing Pakistan as it grapples with a resurgence of militancy, particularly in areas bordering Afghanistan, where the Taliban’s return to power has added to security concerns.
