MPAs raise concerns over security operations

Members of both the treasury and opposition benches in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday expressed serious concerns over ongoing security operations in Bannu and other parts of the province, urging the government to take elected representatives into confidence and ensure relief and facilities for civilians affected by the operations.

The assembly suspended its regular agenda to hold a special debate on the deteriorating law and order situation and ongoing counterterrorism operations.

Speaking during the session, lawmakers including Adnan Khan, Humayun Khan, Shafiullah Khan, Sajjad Birkwal, Hamidur Rehman, Mehr Sultana and others said an undeclared operation was underway in Bannu, causing severe hardships for local residents. They maintained that elected representatives had not been consulted regarding the operation and called on the government to clarify its nature and objectives.

The members questioned the effectiveness of military operations that have continued since 2010, asking what tangible results had been achieved despite repeated campaigns against terrorists. They said people remained victims of terrorism while the province's law and order situation continued to deteriorate.

The legislators expressed concern over worsening security conditions in the southern districts and criticized the government's handling of the situation. Some members remarked that if the provincial administration was unable to restore peace and maintain its writ, it should explain its strategy or step aside.

They also criticized decision-making without public consultation, saying important security-related matters were being decided behind closed doors, eroding public trust. The lawmakers emphasized that the people looked to the provincial assembly for leadership during difficult times and urged all political parties to rise above partisan interests to work collectively for lasting peace.

Several members highlighted the plight of families displaced by security operations, saying they often faced immense difficulties during evacuation. They urged the government to provide timely financial assistance, rehabilitation and essential facilities to all affected residents.

Meanwhile, a group of disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers accused their own provincial government of deliberately attempting to sideline the party's jailed founder, Imran Khan.

According to the dissident legislators, a meeting was held in which it was decided to write a letter to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. In the letter, they stated that the provincial assembly's sole political agenda should be the release of the party founder and called for a comprehensive strategy to secure his freedom.

The lawmakers claimed they had previously been assured that a meeting would be arranged with Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and the party's central leadership, but no progress had been made.

They further alleged that Imran Khan was being deliberately ignored at official events, claiming that his photograph was absent from the Peshawar Premier League inauguration and a ceremony at the University of Swat, and that no programme highlighting his contributions was presented.

The disgruntled PTI members also accused the provincial government of developing unusually close ties with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). They alleged that significant budgetary allocations had been made for opposition parties and that opposition leaders, including the provincial governor, had received prominent attention during a recent cricket stadium event. The provincial government has not yet responded publicly to these allegations.