Peshawar: In view of the recent spike in terrorism and the militants’ “spring offensive” that marks the start of the fighting season Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief secretary and inspector general of police have expressed concerns about the security during the upcoming elections in the province.

The “spring offensive” is expected to intensify in the province from April to October, the officials said. Briefing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) during a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja yesterday, they categorically stated that they cannot give any guarantee about peace during the upcoming elections due to bad law and order situation, financial woes, and the shortage of 56,000 police personnel.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IGP Akhtar Hayat Gandapur highlighted the alarming increase in terror incidents in the region. According to the police chief, the province witnessed a total of 495 terror incidents in the year 2022, while the current year has already seen 118 incidents resulting in 100 fatalities and 275 injuries.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 18 2023

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