Slug: shehbaz-kp-apex-committee-rs160bn-uplift-funds
Category: National
Focus keyphrase: Shehbaz Sharif Khyber Pakhtunkhwa apex committee
SEO title: PM Shehbaz Announces Rs160bn Uplift for K-P
Meta description: PM Shehbaz Sharif chaired the apex committee in Peshawar on Thursday, his first K-P visit since governor’s rule, announcing Rs160bn uplift funds.
Tags: shehbaz sharif, khyber pakhtunkhwa, apex committee, governors rule, asim munir, faisal karim kundi, development funds, counterterrorism
Original element: own data point — set against our own live coverage of the KP emergency cluster: the joint session’s endorsement, the army deployment under Article 245, and the Kundi-Naqvi apex committee held the day after the measures were imposed.
PM Shehbaz Announces Rs160bn Uplift for K-P at Peshawar Apex Meeting
PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday vowed the federal government, which now runs Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa under governor’s rule, would leave no stone unturned to “bring back” progress to the province, as he chaired the apex committee on the National Action Plan in Peshawar.
It was his first visit to the province since emergency and governor’s rule were imposed on October 11. The meeting was attended by Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, federal ministers and the newly appointed provincial advisers.
Addressing the committee, the prime minister reiterated that the emergency measures had been taken “under extreme compulsion”, promising the Centre would place all possible resources at the province’s feet so it could match, or move ahead of, other provinces in the race for development.
Sharp attack on PTI’s ‘callousness’
The prime minister accused the PTI’s years in power in the province of “callousness, criminal negligence, and hostility towards the national interest”, saying terrorists had been “summoned back” after peace had been established, washing away the sacrifices of security personnel “down the drain”.
He asserted that 5,000 police vacancies were never filled, Safe City projects remained incomplete and the Counter-Terrorism Department’s capacity was not significantly enhanced. He recalled that all provinces had agreed in the 2010 National Finance Commission Award that KP, being the front line against terrorism, needed ample resources, and that more than Rs800 billion had been provided or was being provided under it since 2010.
“However, not only did it resurface, but the weapons needed to counter terrorism, the required capacity, and the trained officers needed were nowhere to be found,” he said, adding that he had assured the governments of former chief ministers Ali Amin Gandapur and Sohail Afridi of the Centre’s full support, “but nothing was done”.
The prime minister cited alleged corruption of Rs100 billion in the clean drinking water component of the Cities Improvement Project and Rs37 billion in the “infamous looting” of the Kohistan District Accounts Office.
Rs160bn uplift, wheat relief and CTD directives
Later, the prime minister attended a meeting of the Area Representative and Development Council (ARDC) for 12 districts facing serious security challenges, including Bannu, Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram and the Waziristans. The council includes 48 elders and prominent personalities from these districts.
Addressing the council, he announced Rs160 billion in development funds for the province. To address the wheat shortage, he said the Centre would provide KP “as much wheat as is needed” from Passco storages, but warned there should be no hoarding and that the common man must get wheat at the Centre’s price.
He assured the council of “whatever assistance” in operations and resources was needed to fight terrorism, adding that directives had been issued to bolster the CTD and complete Safe City projects. He agreed with ARDC Chairman Shaukatullah Khan’s assessment that “development work is zero, corruption is 100 per cent, and terrorism is at its peak”.
Kundi vows peace and development
Governor Kundi termed establishing peace and stability in KP a “collective priority” for the whole country, paying tribute to the people of the province for showing restraint despite the turmoil. He said the development of the merged districts was a “special priority”, declaring that people who had paid a heavy price in the fight against terrorism deserved better education, health and economic opportunities.
Why governor’s rule was imposed
The Centre imposed emergency and governor’s rule in KP on October 11, citing the PTI-led provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the fight against terrorism, and the joint session of Parliament endorsed the move last week. The decisions followed the collapse of Centre-PTI negotiations, the deployment of army troops in aid of civil power under Article 245, and an apex committee meeting chaired by Kundi and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi a day after the measures were announced.
Frequently asked questions
Why is PM Shehbaz in Peshawar?
The prime minister visited Peshawar on Thursday, October 22, his first visit to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa since the Centre imposed emergency and governor’s rule on October 11, to chair the apex committee and meet tribal elders.
What did the federal government announce for K-P?
Rs160 billion in development funds, Passco wheat for the province’s shortage at the Centre’s price with a warning against hoarding, and directives to strengthen the Counter-Terrorism Department and complete Safe City projects.
Who attended the apex committee meeting?
Field Marshal Asim Munir, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, federal ministers and the newly appointed provincial advisers, besides the prime minister.
*Source: Dawn, October 22, 2026*
