PM Shehbaz briefs allied parties on KP situation, defends 'constitutional measures'

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday briefed a parliamentary delegation of allied political parties on the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), saying constitutional measures were taken after consultations within the federal cabinet to address security concerns and safeguard economic stability.

According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz said a non-partisan technocratic advisory council had been established to assist the governor in improving law and order, strengthening the economy and eliminating terrorism in the province.

The prime minister said the conduct of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government and its failure to adopt an unequivocal stance against terrorism had posed risks to Pakistan’s growing economy.

He said the federal cabinet had decided, through mutual consultation, to take constitutional measures under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.

Shehbaz alleged that the KP government had neither clearly condemned terrorism nor taken decisive action against terrorists.

He said members of the armed forces, security agencies and police had sacrificed their lives over the past several years to protect the country and maintain peace in the province.

The prime minister further criticised the PTI and its provincial government, saying that over the past 13 years they had failed to deliver adequate public welfare and ensure the safety of citizens’ lives and property.

He said the federal government had provided more than Rs800 billion to KP under the National Finance Commission (NFC) framework to support efforts to eliminate terrorism.

However, he alleged, the provincial government had failed to take effective measures to strengthen the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and establish Safe City projects.

The parliamentary delegation included representatives of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z).

The delegation assured the prime minister that allied parties stood with the federal government in the current situation and praised his leadership for guiding the country through difficult circumstances.

The delegation also said KP’s residents had been deprived of development in health, education and infrastructure during the PTI’s 13-year rule. It expressed confidence that, with federal government support, the province would join the country’s broader path towards development and prosperity.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, and the prime minister’s adviser on political affairs and inter-provincial coordination, Rana Sanaullah, also attended the meeting.