Govt tried until last moment to avoid emergency in KP: Naqvi
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said the federal government did not want to impose an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tried until the last moment to avoid the move by seeking cooperation from the provincial government in the fight against terrorism.
Speaking during a joint sitting of parliament on Thursday, he rejected allegations that the government had used the issue of terrorism for political purposes, saying the subject was discussed first during negotiations with the opposition.
“God is my witness, we did not want to impose an emergency or governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Naqvi said, adding that the government had made every effort to ensure the province’s cooperation in counterterrorism efforts.
He said dozens of terrorism incidents had occurred in the province, while the federal government had repeatedly tried to bring the provincial administration on board to formulate a joint strategy. However, he added, even convening a meeting of the provincial apex committee had proved difficult.
Naqvi said a provincial apex committee meeting was held in Peshawar in February after considerable effort. A press release was supposed to be issued afterwards, stating that terrorism would be fought collectively, but, according to the minister, terrorism was not condemned despite requests for the statement to be released.
He stressed that eliminating terrorism was a national responsibility and should not be viewed through a political lens.
Referring to opposition leader Asad Qaiser’s remarks against terrorism, Naqvi said he had told him there was a significant difference between his position and that of the provincial government, adding that something had gone wrong.
The interior minister said the federal government had made every possible effort to engage the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and take it into confidence. He said he had personally met Chief Minister Sohail Afridi several times and pursued negotiations through available channels.
According to Naqvi, the government had repeatedly taken the initiative to hold talks, including when other contentious issues arose on November 26.
He said terrorism was the first subject discussed during negotiations with the opposition and rejected claims that the issue had been exploited for political gain.
Naqvi added that he had worked with Afridi on a plan covering five districts, under which police would be prepared to tackle terrorism.
However, he alleged that the chief minister had made statements against state institutions and the military while security personnel continued to lose their lives. According to Naqvi, Afridi had said he could not politically withstand a military operation.
The minister said he had urged provincial leaders to sit together and assess where mistakes had been made. He also questioned who was advising the chief minister, while clarifying that this was a separate matter.
Naqvi further alleged that provincial government spokesperson Shafi Jan had been unwilling to condemn terrorists, expressing concern over what he described as the provincial government’s failure to adopt a clear position against terrorism.
He reiterated that the federal government had not wanted to impose an emergency and had continued efforts to avoid the decision until the final moment.
The interior minister also said that when he was informed that the health of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan was not well, he had planned to visit him that night to check on his condition.
Naqvi questioned why senior PTI leaders appeared not to trust their own leadership, while maintaining that the federal government had consistently tried to work with the provincial administration on a coordinated response to terrorism.
He concluded that terrorism was a national challenge requiring collective action, saying the government had pursued negotiations, contacts and cooperation before the situation reached the point of imposing an emergency in the province.