Governor’s rule aimed at ending terrorism, says Talal Chaudhry

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has said governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is aimed at eliminating terrorism and restoring peace, not seizing power or exploiting the province’s mineral resources.

Addressing a press conference in Jaranwala on Saturday, Talal Chaudhry rejected Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s remarks, saying governor’s rule should not be treated as a political prize or an opportunity to claim a share of power.

He said the federal government had made every effort to bring Maulana Fazlur Rehman on board over the counterterrorism policy, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had given special consideration to his proposals at a cabinet meeting, but the effort had failed to make progress.

Talal Chaudhry claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had close links with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying the party’s founder had previously proposed allowing the militant group to open offices in Pakistan.

He also questioned why, according to him, no PTI leader had been targeted in a terrorist attack over the past 11 years, while other political parties had not enjoyed similar protection.

He said the name of PTI’s founder had also been included in a negotiating committee formed in 2014.

The minister said political parties were free to criticise the government; however, the state and its institutions would deal with anyone seen siding with groups taking up arms against Pakistan in the name of terrorism.

Responding to criticism that governor’s rule could be used to exploit KP’s mineral resources, Talal Chaudhry said restoring peace was the primary objective of the move.

He argued that mineral extraction is not possible in areas where residents, including children, lived in fear and people could not travel safely by car, motorcycle or even on foot.

The minister said that Punjab and Sindh governments stood firmly behind the state against terrorism and maintained that provinces lacking a clear stance against militant violence were more vulnerable to unrest.

Talal Chaudhry urged all political parties to set aside their differences, support the state’s counterterrorism efforts and ensure implementation of the National Action Plan, saying peace was essential for politics and democracy to survive.