Summary Tarar said residents of KP wanted terrorism to end despite the hardships they had endured
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had ‘welcomed’ the imposition of governor’s rule, expressing hope that the move would improve the province’s deteriorating law and order situation.
Speaking at a briefing for foreign media representatives alongside Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the information minister said the federal government had repeatedly tried to reach an agreement with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the KP government on a joint counterterrorism strategy, but they had not agreed to coordinated measures.
He said the federal government had no political agenda and expressed hope that the situation in the province would improve following the imposition of governor’s rule and emergency.
Attaullah Tarar said Islamabad was pursuing dialogue and diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan, calling on the interim Afghan government to dismantle terrorist safe havens and take credible action to prevent Afghan territory from being used for attacks inside Pakistan.
However, he said that the provincial government had a different policy towards the interim Afghan administration.
“How can one country have two different policies on terrorism?” he asked, adding that the relevant constitutional provisions had been incorporated to address situations of this nature.
The minister said the provincial governance system had become paralysed and the law and order situation had deteriorated significantly, accompanied by a marked increase in terrorist activities.
The information minister said the KP government had received approximately Rs800 billion through the National Finance Commission (NFC) mechanism and questioned why the funds had not been used more effectively to strengthen the province's counterterrorism capabilities.
He stressed that the money had not been spent on establishing the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), installing Safe City surveillance cameras, developing an effective counter-extremism narrative, setting up forensic laboratories or procuring modern equipment for the police.
Recalling his recent visit to Kohat, where a terrorist attack had taken place, Tarar said he had met injured victims at a hospital and visited the homes of those killed in the incident.
He said residents of KP wanted terrorism to end despite the hardships they had endured, adding that the injured had demonstrated considerable courage and determination.
Questioning the provincial government's handling of security, he asked how a government responsible for protecting citizens' lives and property could allegedly facilitate terrorist activities.
He further alleged that a nexus existed between politics, terrorism and crime in the province.
No timeframe set for emergency, governor's rule
Meanwhile, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said President Asif Ali Zardari had proclaimed an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.
He said the rising number of terrorist incidents had been a significant factor in the decision to impose emergency.
The law minister said no specific timeframe could be given for the duration of the emergency or governor's rule, explaining that the two measures had different durations and could be extended if circumstances required.
He described the Constitution as the fundamental document governing the state's system and defining the procedures for dealing with different situations.
Azam Nazeer Tarar said Pakistan had been confronting terrorism for decades, with its effects becoming evident across the region following the Afghan war. He added that the Pakistani nation had made significant sacrifices in the fight against militancy and that counterterrorism efforts continued.
The law minister said terrorist incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had increased considerably in recent years.
According to figures shared by various government institutions with the federal government, 2,911 terrorist incidents were reported in the province between 2021 and 2024, while the number subsequently rose to approximately 8,600, representing an increase of around 200 per cent, he said.
He cited the rise in terrorist attacks as a key factor behind the decision to impose emergency in the province.
The minister said the Pakistan Army was assisting in law enforcement and maintaining internal security, while defending the country's borders remained its primary responsibility.
He added that the armed forces helped provincial governments tackle internal unrest when required, praising the military and security agencies for their sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.
Protecting the lives of innocent citizens, he said, was a fundamental responsibility of the state.
Azam Nazeer Tarar stressed the need for stronger coordination among relevant institutions to make counterterrorism efforts more effective. He said the powers of federal and provincial governments were distributed under the Constitution and that both levels of government were required to operate within their respective constitutional and legal mandates.
