A female student has grilled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister (CM) Sohail Afridi over the lack of development in the province.
During a session at the Young Leaders Convention in Peshawar, a female student questioned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi about the development across the province despite years of governance.
The exchange took place in Pashto, asking the CM, “So-called fake governments are developing, but why has KP remained backwards even after 13 years in real governance?”
She asked that the most development had benefited only the homes of MPs and MNAs. She further challenged him on corruption, asking what actions had been taken against it, and urged a comparison of KP’s progress with other provinces.
In response, CM Afridi defended his administration’s record while rejecting her criticism. He said that the student’s affiliation might be with opposition parties such as ANP or Jamaat-e-Islami, stating, “You must belong to ANP or some other party.”
The Chief Minister stated that his government had given a sense of awareness and courage among the KP’s young people, saying, “We have given the youth of this province the consciousness to ask questions. I have given this awareness that a sister is standing up and questioning the province’s chief executive about my policies.”
Afridi compared KP’s situation with other regions, noting that during the ANP’s tenure, bomb blasts were frequent and Nishtar Hall was shut down, issues he claimed his administration had addressed by reopening them and creating opportunities for youth programs like the ongoing convention.
He stated that true development should not be measured by comparing it with major cities like Lahore or Karachi, whose surroundings remain in poor condition. He gave examples from southern Punjab, where people reportedly tie animals in schools, and Sindh, where dogs still roam hospitals but KP has developed.
The CM revealed ongoing and planned initiatives, including bringing schemes worth 200 billion rupees to Peshawar and 1,000 billion rupees for development in the merged tribal districts.
‘Back to stoneage’: PTI’s new rules for KP female colleges criticised
In a separate development earlier, the Directorate of Higher Education, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), issued a new notification about organising events in female colleges across the province.
According to the notification dated January 9, 2026, colleges must follow strict Standard Operating Procedures for welcome and farewell parties, sports galas, cultural functions, and other similar events.
The notification was sent to regional directorates in Abbottabad, Bannu, and Swat. Additionally, it was sent to the principals and coordinators of several government colleges.
Under the new rules, colleges must get prior approval from the Director of Higher Education or the Regional Director before holding any event.
Additionally, they must also submit a list of participants and guests.
Activities involving music, dancing, modelling, or similar performances have been banned. This action has been called absurd by many social media users.
