Editorial
February 4, 2026
ONE should, perhaps, not read too much into it, but it has nonetheless been uplifting to note that there still appears to be some room for reason and rationality in national politics.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday on the latter’s invitation. The two appear to have had a largely cordial engagement. They
talked about the need for close cooperation between the centre and KP, reportedly agreeing that such coordination was “vital for peace, development and public welfare in the province”.
The CM shared with Mr Sharif concerns about his province’s finances, as well as counterterrorism and the ongoing law and order crisis. It may be recalled that Mr Afridi was
picked for the KP chief minister’s office because he is a ‘fighter’. It now appears that he may also be a man who can be reasoned with.
Reciprocating goodwill, the PM is said to have assured Mr Afridi that the centre would cooperate and support KP’s development projects, infrastructure improvement, education, health and employment generation. And, in a break from the more confrontational stance taken by other stakeholders, Mr Sharif also acknowledged that the KP government has an important role to play in establishing peace in the province, but urged the provincial administration to improve the law-and-order situation and strengthen counterterrorism efforts.