PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafiullah Jan has warned that any attempt to impose governor’s rule in the province could trigger a strong public response, while calling for a coordinated national strategy to tackle terrorism rather than using the security situation for political point-scoring.
Addressing a press conference on Monday alongside Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Tariq Saeed Marwat, Jan said terrorism was a national challenge that required cooperation among all relevant stakeholders.
He accused federal ministers of presenting misleading figures regarding the performance and resources of the KP police, alleging that the figures were being used to create the impression that the provincial government was failing to address terrorism.
The minister maintained that such statements disregarded the sacrifices made by KP police personnel and contributed to what he described as a negative political narrative against the PTI-led provincial government.
Minister Questions Governor’s Rule Debate
Responding to discussions about the possible imposition of governor’s rule, Jan argued that if deteriorating law and order were being considered grounds for such a measure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the security situation in Balochistan should also be examined.
He warned that imposing governor’s rule in KP would generate a strong reaction among the public.
The minister traced the province’s prolonged security challenges to developments following the September 11 attacks and recalled PTI founder Imran Khan’s opposition to US drone strikes in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
Jan claimed that the security situation improved after PTI formed the provincial government in 2013 and during Imran Khan’s tenure as prime minister, but deteriorated following his removal from office. These assertions reflected the minister’s political assessment of the security situation.
KP Government Offers Cooperation on Counterterrorism
Jan said the provincial government was prepared to engage with all stakeholders to develop a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy.
He criticised the federal government’s handling of the security challenge and questioned remarks made about KP by Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. Jan said that if federal officials were assessing the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, they should also examine conditions in Balochistan.
Commenting on PTI’s decision to postpone its planned march towards Islamabad, the minister described the delay as part of the party’s political strategy.
He also rejected the suggestion that the provincial government sought confrontation with state institutions, saying the KP administration remained committed to Pakistan and to restoring peace in the province.
KP Says Police Equipment Deliveries Remain Incomplete
The information minister also raised concerns about delays in supplying modern equipment to the provincial police.
According to Jan, the KP government had paid Rs7.4 billion to relevant federal institutions for 57 items, but only 13 had so far been delivered. He alleged that the remaining equipment was being unnecessarily delayed.
Jan said strengthening the police and improving law and order remained among the provincial government’s principal priorities.
He stated that the police budget had been increased to Rs191 billion, while Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had allocated an additional Rs35 billion package for the police and Counter-Terrorism Department.
According to the minister, police received the province’s largest budgetary allocation after the health and education sectors.
Minister Highlights KP’s Cost in Fight Against Terrorism
Jan said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had suffered substantial human and economic losses during years of terrorism, claiming that approximately 80,000 people had lost their lives.
He argued that despite these sacrifices, the province continued to face criticism rather than receiving what he described as its rightful share of resources and support.
The minister also blamed federal policies for an increase in terrorist incidents and said the chief minister had written several letters requesting a meeting of the apex committee but had not received a response.
Concluding his remarks, Jan reiterated that the KP government did not seek confrontation with state institutions and remained committed to restoring peace and combating terrorism through coordinated action.
