ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Federal Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Monday strongly criticized the chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) decision to return bulletproof vehicles supplied by the federal government, calling the move “immature” and a setback in the fight against terrorism.
In a video statement, he said the Federal Government had dispatched these vehicles to the Inspector General of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to enhance the operational capacity of police officers and officials combating terrorism.
The Minister emphasized that the vehicles meet international standards and are strongly recommended for use in high-risk situations and counter-terrorism operations. He recalled that the Federal Government had previously allocated over Rs 600 billion to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for the development of safe cities, the establishment of a counter-terrorism department, forensic laboratories, and other essential infrastructure to fight terrorism.
He described it as ironic that police officers and officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are being left vulnerable to terrorist threats. He added that it remains unclear where such a substantial amount of money was utilized.
Talal Chaudhry condemned the decision to return the bulletproof vehicles, intended to safeguard the lives of police personnel, as immature, unfortunate, and deeply regrettable.
He, however, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to continue providing all possible support to the province in its efforts to eliminate terrorism from the country.