ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said the federal government made every possible effort to prevent the imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), insisting that dialogue with the provincial government remained a priority until the final moment.
Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday, he said Islamabad had repeatedly attempted to secure cooperation from the provincial administration over the worsening terrorism situation. He also highlighted difficulties in establishing an Apex Committee in the province, which is intended to support coordination on security matters.
Naqvi said the federal government had sought to resolve the issue through consultation and negotiations rather than allowing disagreements to escalate. He stressed that the government had continued engaging with the provincial leadership in an effort to address security concerns.
Security coordination
The interior minister said an Apex Committee meeting had been held in Peshawar in February this year, but establishing the committee in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had proved particularly difficult.
He said the federal government had made sustained efforts to persuade the provincial administration to cooperate on counter-terrorism measures. According to Naqvi, the authorities wanted to settle differences through mutual understanding, with negotiations focused primarily on the security situation.
He pointed to several terrorist attacks in the province in which security personnel were killed, saying that statements made against the military by the chief minister on the following days had added to the disagreements between the federal and provincial governments.
Naqvi also referred to remarks by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser during a discussion on terrorism. He said he had highlighted a difference between Qaiser's position on combating terrorism and the statements being made by the provincial government.
The minister maintained that counter-terrorism remained his foremost concern during negotiations, adding that the issue had repeatedly featured in discussions with the provincial leadership.
Talks continued
Naqvi said he had personally met Sohail Afridi several times as part of efforts to prevent the situation from reaching the point where an emergency would be necessary.
He reiterated that the federal government had continued trying to avert emergency rule until the last moment, seeking a negotiated resolution instead. He also rejected the suggestion that the federal side had withdrawn from the dialogue process, saying it had repeatedly taken the initiative to resume discussions.
The minister called for an examination of the facts surrounding the dispute, arguing that the sequence of events should be assessed on the basis of evidence rather than political claims.
He also cautioned against associating any political party with terrorism, saying allegations of this nature should not be made without considering the facts. Political differences, he added, should be handled responsibly, particularly when the province is facing serious security challenges.
Call for review
Naqvi urged the relevant political leadership to sit down with its provincial representatives and examine where mistakes had occurred in handling the issue.
He said a press release had already been issued on the matter, but claimed that the relevant parties had not condemned terrorism.