One Country Cannot Have Two Policies Against Terrorism: Federal Ministers

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the federal government had made several attempts to reach an agreement with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on a joint policy to fight terrorism. However, he claimed that KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was unwilling to support coordinated counterterrorism measures.

Speaking to foreign media representatives in Islamabad alongside Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the information minister said the federal government’s aim was not political but to develop a united national strategy against terrorism. He said PTI was free to continue its political march and raise other demands, but the country could not have two different policies on terrorism.

Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan had been urging the Afghan interim government to prevent its territory from being used for attacks against Pakistan and to eliminate terrorist safe havens. However, he said the KP government’s position on Afghanistan was different. He claimed that an agreement had been reached during talks, but the chief minister later rejected it.

The information minister expressed concern over the security situation in KP, saying terrorism had increased and governance had weakened. He also alleged that links existed between politics, terrorism and crime in the province, while illegal trade and cross-border smuggling were allegedly helping terrorist groups.

Tarar said KP had received around Rs800 billion under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award since 2010. He questioned why more resources had not been spent on strengthening the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), installing Safe City cameras, establishing forensic laboratories and providing modern equipment to police.

He said the people of KP wanted an end to terrorism because it had badly affected their lives and livelihoods. Referring to his visit to injured people and families of those killed in a terrorist attack in Kohat, he said the people remained determined despite the difficulties they faced.

The minister also criticised the provincial government’s performance in education, healthcare and other public services. He said better registration of vehicles and motorcycles could help investigators trace vehicles used in terrorist attacks.

Tarar alleged that the provincial government had failed to fully support meetings under the National Action Plan and had not implemented a coordinated counterterrorism policy. He also said claims of public protests against emergency rule or governor’s rule had not materialised as expected.

He added that a new advisory council had been formed with experienced people from different fields, keeping regional, tribal and gender representation in mind. The new administrative team is expected to improve public services, restore law and order and strengthen the fight against terrorism.

Law Minister Says Emergency Was Imposed Under the Constitution

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the president imposed an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by using the powers provided under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Briefing foreign media representatives, he said the 1973 Constitution provides legal procedures to deal with extraordinary situations. He explained that the president could declare an emergency on the advice of the prime minister under the constitutional framework.

The law minister said Pakistan had been facing terrorism for decades and had made significant sacrifices in the fight against it. He said the rising number of terrorist attacks in KP and reports from government institutions were important factors behind the emergency decision.

According to Azam Nazeer Tarar, 2,911 terrorist incidents were recorded in KP between 2021 and 2024, while the number later increased to around 8,600. He described this as an increase of nearly 200 per cent and said government institutions had shared relevant figures with the federal government and the Prime Minister’s Office.

He said KP police, armed forces, federal institutions and customs officials had faced terrorist attacks, while religious scholars and ordinary citizens had also been targeted. He stressed that protecting citizens was the state’s responsibility and that all relevant institutions needed to work together.

The law minister said Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments operated within their constitutional powers, but cooperation was essential to address serious security challenges.

He added that the federal government had also tried to resolve the issue through political dialogue. A committee involving PTI, the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was formed, while the National Assembly speaker facilitated discussions. However, the talks failed to produce a final agreement because of differences and other reasons.

Azam Nazeer Tarar said an emergency was not the government’s first choice and denied that the decision had been taken for political purposes. He maintained that the main reason was the increase in terrorist activities in the province.

Government Announces New Administrative Measures for KP

Attaullah Tarar said a new Area Representative and Development Council would be established for 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The council would include a chairman, vice chairman, members and a spokesperson.

He said Yahya Akhunzada would serve as administrator in the role of additional chief secretary. The new administrative structure would include police, law enforcement agencies, anti-narcotics officials, legal affairs, tribal affairs and human rights representatives.

According to Tarar, the council would maintain a balance of regional and tribal representation and focus on improving security and development activities.

He said the team included experienced professionals, including a former Federal Board of Revenue chairman, a former Punjab finance secretary, Supreme Court lawyer and former advocate general Amir Javed, counterterrorism expert Dr Syed Amir Abdullah, and retired Lieutenant General Nigar Johar Khan.

The minister also mentioned National Assembly member Samar Haroon Bilour, saying she belonged to a family affected by terrorism and had strongly raised her voice against it.

Tarar said the new administrative arrangements aimed to strengthen counterterrorism efforts, restore peace and improve public services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.