PM Shehbaz Says Tough Measures Were Needed to Restore Peace in KP, Slams PTI Over Security Situation

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was undertaken “under extreme compulsion” due to the worsening law and order situation in the province.

The prime minister made these remarks on Thursday while chairing a meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Apex Committee in Peshawar to review the security situation. He arrived in the provincial capital earlier in the day for his first visit to KP since governor’s rule and the emergency were imposed on October 11.

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, federal ministers and newly appointed provincial advisers attended the meeting.

Addressing the participants, Shehbaz Sharif described Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a beautiful province and expressed hope that the government would speed up its development.

“I hope we work hard day and night and speedily make progress towards development and prosperity,” he said.

The prime minister said the worsening law and order situation had forced the government to take tough decisions. He stated that terrorism had largely been brought under control in the province by 2018, but the subsequent return of terrorists had damaged peace and security, forcing the people to pay a heavy price.

He said the people of KP had made great sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. Around 80,000 people had lost their lives in the war, while Pakistan had also suffered billions of dollars in economic losses.

Shehbaz Sharif criticised the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial government, saying that education, healthcare, security and public welfare had been neglected. He said 5,000 police vacancies were not filled, the Safe City project remained incomplete, and insufficient attention was given to the training of the police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).

The prime minister said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had received around Rs800 billion under the 2010 National Finance Commission (NFC) Award to support efforts against terrorism. He said all provinces had agreed that KP should receive additional resources because it was at the forefront of the fight against terrorism.

He said it was unfortunate that terrorism had returned to the province despite the resources provided and the sacrifices made by its people.

Shehbaz Sharif said the federal government had worked continuously over the past two and a half years to revive the national economy. He questioned whether the government could allow Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to continue facing unrest and bloodshed.

According to the prime minister, the government had consulted the president twice over the situation in the province, while a political committee had also spent 48 hours in talks. However, he said the situation required tough decisions and maintained that the steps taken in KP were permitted under the Constitution and the law.

He added that the federal government was committed to working with the military leadership to address the problems faced by the people of the province. An advisory council comprising experts from different fields had also been formed to develop practical plans for the province’s improvement.

The prime minister also referred to alleged corruption cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including alleged corruption worth Rs100 billion in a clean water project and Rs37 billion in the Kohistan mega scandal. He also raised concerns about the awarding of contracts to favoured individuals in the Pulsar Gold project.

During the meeting, officials briefed the prime minister on the imposition of an emergency in 12 districts of the province. Participants also paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the fight for peace.

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said restoring peace and security in the province was the top priority and that the people wanted peace. He paid tribute to the sacrifices made by the army, Frontier Corps and police.

Kundi said eliminating terrorists, their facilitators and financial supporters was a priority. He added that cooperation between the federal and provincial governments and coordination among all institutions were essential for peace and development.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed that the federal government and military leadership would work together to restore peace, prosperity and development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the government was also responsible for ensuring that basic facilities reached people at their doorsteps.

Describing KP as the land of Rahman Baba and Khushal Khan Khattak, the prime minister pledged to address the hardships faced by the province’s people.