Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has said the province cannot function without Centre cooperation, and that its problems can only be solved through joint efforts with the federal government.
Speaking to the media in Swabi on Sunday, after attending a gathering there, Kundi said improved relations with the federal government were a welcome development for the province. He said promoting cordial and brotherly relations with the federation and the other provinces was among his top priorities.
Kundi Centre cooperation call in Swabi
Kundi said the province’s problems could only be resolved when the provincial and federal governments worked together. He stressed that political differences should not block institutional coordination, a point also carried in separate reporting of his remarks, which noted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needed federal support in security, development and financial management.
He said all stakeholders must act together, in a coordinated way, to combat terrorism. The governor added that six months was a long period, underlining that joint action could not wait.
Security, law and public services
Kundi called for action against encroachments without discrimination and strictly in line with the law. He pledged to apply the law to himself first, before asking it of others.
He said the media had every right to offer constructive criticism, and that positive criticism helped institutions improve their performance. He also underlined the need for a revolution in education and health, along with far-reaching measures to improve institutions and provide better facilities to the public.
The remarks place everyday governance, rather than political confrontation, at the centre of his message: security through coordination, services through stronger institutions, and disputes settled through the law.
Why the remarks matter now
The governor’s comments come at a sensitive moment for Centre-province relations. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been under governors’ rule this month, and the federal and provincial leaderships have traded sharp words over security and control of the province. In that setting, a public call for cooperation from the governor carries weight, because the governor is the Centre’s constitutional representative in the province.
Earlier this month, Kundi and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met in the province’s apex committee, where security came first on the agenda. The federal government has also approved uplift funds for the province through the apex committee forum, linking development spending to the same coordination channel Kundi pointed to in Swabi. Readers can follow that background in our earlier reports on the apex committee meeting and the uplift funds approved through it.
The security argument is the sharpest part of the message. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has faced repeated militant attacks in recent months, and operations against militant groups continue across several districts. Kundi’s point is that no single tier of government can handle that threat alone, and that counter-terrorism work needs shared planning, shared resources and a single chain of coordination. The governor has previously taken a firm public line on talks with anti-state elements, as covered in our report on his no-talks stance.
What happens next
No new package, meeting or policy was announced in the Swabi remarks. The test of the governor’s message will be practical: whether the Centre and the province hold regular coordination meetings, whether security decisions are taken jointly, and whether development funds reach projects on the ground.
For now, the statement sets a clear public position from the Governor House. It favours cooperation over confrontation, and it ties that cooperation to three concrete areas: security, development and financial management. If that approach holds, it could lower the temperature between Islamabad and Peshawar. If it does not, the province’s problems, in Kundi’s own words, will remain unsolved.
What did Governor Kundi say in Swabi?
He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cannot function without the Centre’s cooperation, and that the province’s problems can only be resolved through joint efforts with the federal government.
Why does Centre-province cooperation matter for KP?
Because security, development and financial management all need federal support, and counter-terrorism in particular requires coordinated action by all stakeholders.
Did Kundi announce any new package or meeting?
No. The Swabi remarks contained no new package, meeting or policy announcement. They set out a public position in favour of cooperation over confrontation.
