Naqvi says govt exhausted efforts to secure K-P's cooperation on terrorism

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday said the federal government had exhausted all efforts to secure the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government’s cooperation in combating terrorism and avoiding the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule, maintaining that the decision had been taken reluctantly after months of unsuccessful engagement.

Addressing a joint session of Parliament, Naqvi rejected opposition allegations that the government had used terrorism for political purposes, saying it had repeatedly attempted to bring the provincial administration on board to fight terrorism together.

“We made every effort to bring their government on board so that they could fight shoulder to shoulder with us,” he said.

The interior minister said efforts to secure cooperation from the provincial leadership had begun long before the latest round of political negotiations. Referring to an Apex Committee meeting held in Peshawar in February, Naqvi said he had attended alongside the Peshawar corps commander, while the K-P chief minister had hosted the meeting.

He said considerable difficulties had been encountered in arranging the meeting, which aimed to establish a common position on counter-terrorism. The plan was to agree on a joint approach and issue a press release stating that federal and provincial authorities would work together to combat terrorism, he added.

Naqvi urged lawmakers to obtain and read the press release that was eventually issued, particularly its concluding remarks, to understand what had transpired. He recalled that security personnel had been martyred on the same day and that participants had learned of their deaths during the meeting.

He said the K-P chief minister had been persuaded through a formal request to attend the funeral prayers of the personnel. Naqvi claimed this was the last occasion on which the chief minister had attended the funeral prayers of a security official.

Turning to the government's negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Naqvi acknowledged that members of the party's negotiating committee had expressed a clear commitment to combating terrorism. He singled out PTI leader Asad Qaiser, saying his position during the talks had been so firm that even government representatives had not expressed themselves in similar terms.

Naqvi said all members of the opposition delegation had discussed terrorism and maintained that the fight was for Pakistan, rather than any individual or political party. However, he said he had pointed out to Qaiser a significant difference between the position of the negotiating committee and that of the provincial government.

He further said he had asked Qaiser to consult the provincial leadership because it did not share the views being presented by PTI representatives during the negotiations. According to Naqvi, the opposition delegation subsequently returned after consultations and was given a mandate to discuss the issues raised.

The interior minister said the government had not sought to discredit the opposition's position on terrorism and acknowledged that the negotiating committee had not retreated from its stated commitment.

He also referred to a television interview involving the K-P information minister, saying the interviewer had repeatedly asked him to condemn terrorism. Naqvi said the interviewer had made the request three times and that he was willing to provide the video clip, along with other evidence, if required.

Naqvi maintained that the government had pursued every available channel of communication with the provincial leadership. He said he had personally met the K-P chief minister several times and worked with him to formulate a security plan for five districts.

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Under the proposed arrangement, the police would be strengthened in those districts, while civil armed forces would gradually withdraw over six months, allowing the police to assume responsibility for security operations. The federal government and security forces were prepared to support the provincial police during the transition, he said.

However, Naqvi questioned who had prevented the provincial government from implementing the arrangement, adding that the reasons for its failure were a separate matter. He also said the chief minister had publicly criticised military personnel shortly after security officials had been killed.

Referring to incidents in Bannu and other areas, Naqvi said the chief minister had delivered speeches against the same forces whose personnel had recently lost their lives.

The minister maintained that the federal government had wanted the provincial administration to lead counter-terrorism operations, with the army, Frontier Corps and other security organisations providing assistance. He said the government had not sought to take control of those operations away from the province.

According to Naqvi, the provincial leadership had been unwilling to assume responsibility for leading the operations despite repeated requests. He urged lawmakers to ask participants in the negotiations whether terrorism had been discussed, saying the subject had been addressed at the beginning of the talks.

Naqvi said Qaiser had responded to the government's concerns about terrorism within the first few minutes, after which discussions had moved to other political issues.

He rejected suggestions that the government had misused the terrorism issue, saying efforts to secure provincial cooperation had been under way since before August and September. Engagement had taken place at different levels, including directly with the K-P chief minister, he added.

Naqvi recalled efforts ahead of a planned visit by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in September to arrange a meeting between opposition leaders and the premier.

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Although the meeting could not take place, he said further efforts followed calls for dialogue by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the president and the prime minister. Negotiations subsequently resumed, with government representatives continuing their efforts to reach an understanding.

According to Naqvi, the government waited until late at night for a response on the fourth point of the proposed agreement and made a final telephone call urging the opposition to resolve the outstanding issue.

He maintained that individuals associated with the provincial leadership had created the circumstances that eventually compelled the government to act.

“Do not put this on us,” he said, blaming those involved in provincial decision-making for the failure to reach an agreement. “We did not walk away from the negotiations,” he added.

He appealed to members of both negotiating committees and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to confirm that government representatives had remained available throughout the talks.

According to Naqvi, opposition representatives had repeatedly held separate consultations in another room, sometimes lasting one, two or three hours, while government representatives waited. He said the government had neither imposed a deadline on those consultations nor demanded that the opposition immediately announce a decision.

He recalled that government representatives had occasionally asked how much longer the consultations might take but had otherwise continued waiting. He maintained that the government had attended every round of negotiations and remained willing to engage.

Referring to the proposed agreement, Naqvi said nearly all its provisions reflected demands made by the opposition. The only additional line concerned the withdrawal of PTI's long march, which had been included following a suggestion by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman.

He said he had not insisted on including that condition and maintained that the government had otherwise attempted to accommodate the opposition's demands. He rejected suggestions that the government had treated negotiations as a matter of political ego or had been unwilling to maintain contact with PTI.

Read More: Govt defends K-P emergency, alleges PTI-KP govt’s ‘nexus’ with terrorists

Turning to the provincial government's financial concerns, Naqvi said he had personally accompanied the K-P chief minister to meetings with the finance minister on several occasions. He had also taken the chief minister to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz to discuss the province's financial difficulties.

Meetings had also been held with Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and efforts had been made to address individual issues raised by the provincial government, he added.

Naqvi acknowledged that the government and opposition might hold different political positions but rejected allegations that federal authorities had attempted to exploit the province's difficulties.

He maintained that the government had continued its efforts until the final hour to prevent the imposition of emergency measures. Although it had become apparent during the final 24 hours that negotiations had failed, the government had nevertheless explored alternatives, he said.

According to the minister, one proposal involved the provincial government itself adopting emergency measures in 12 districts affected by terrorism. He claimed provincial representatives had agreed to the proposal in principle, with the aim of ensuring that the federal and provincial governments could jointly confront the security threat.

Naqvi said the chief minister had not accompanied military personnel during any counter-terrorism operation, citing political considerations as the reason. “If the chief minister does not stand with the army because he cannot afford it politically, how can we conduct operations?” he asked.

He stated that the government had been left with no alternative after repeated attempts to secure cooperation had failed. He urged lawmakers to distinguish between political disagreements and the circumstances surrounding the decision.

The minister acknowledged that preventing terrorism was the federal government's responsibility and said it would fulfil that obligation. He maintained that terrorism had to be confronted directly and that the government could not remain in the background while security personnel continued to lose their lives.

He said the fight against terrorism could not be conducted through contradictory policies, with political leaders opposing terrorism at the federal level while adopting a different position at the provincial level. He urged PTI lawmakers to consult their provincial leadership and resolve the differences.

Addressing allegations that PTI had been accused of supporting terrorism, Naqvi said no political party should face such an accusation without justification.

He maintained that the government had not accused PTI as an organisation of carrying out terrorist activities. “We never said PTI was doing this. We have always said that you were not standing with us,” he said.

However, Naqvi said some individuals at the local level were coordinating with terrorist elements. He maintained that any such conduct needed to be addressed while distinguishing it from allegations against a political party as a whole.

The interior minister also referred to the government's earlier engagement with PTI, saying efforts to resolve the party's concerns had continued for an extended period, including during 2025 and before. He added that government representatives had repeatedly held negotiations, some publicly and others privately.

Referring to the opposition's renewed offer of negotiations, Naqvi questioned why PTI representatives were unable to make decisions independently during talks. He suggested that the party's senior leadership did not sufficiently trust its own representatives to negotiate and make binding decisions.

Naqvi said government representatives attended negotiations with a mandate from the president and prime minister and expected the opposition to do the same.

He questioned the usefulness of reaching an understanding with opposition representatives if they subsequently had to return to jail to obtain their leader's approval. The interior minister urged PTI negotiators to come to the table with sufficient authority to make decisions.

He reiterated that the federal government had been prepared to negotiate in the past and remained willing to engage. PM Shehbaz had repeatedly called for political dialogue, Naqvi said, adding that the proposed agreement itself reflected a shared understanding of the need for negotiations.

Referring to the document discussed during the talks, Naqvi said its first provision concerned a meeting between opposition leaders and the prime minister to initiate political dialogue. The second proposed the formation of a political committee to discuss various matters between the government and opposition.

The third provision concerned the protection of legal rights, including medical treatment, meetings and other matters. The proposed arrangements also covered applications concerning the sentences of elderly and ill prisoners, he added.

Another provision concerned the implementation of the National Action Plan in K-P to strengthen the fight against terrorism.

Naqvi said the plan under discussion was National Action Plan II, which he maintained had been approved during PTI's tenure in government. He said political parties had agreed to the framework, which involved revisions to the earlier 20-point National Action Plan.

The minister maintained that the framework had been developed with the participation and agreement of political parties, including PTI. He questioned why a party should abandon a counter-terrorism framework merely because it was no longer in government.

Naqvi reiterated that the federal government had not wanted emergency measures to be imposed in K-P. He said the decision had caused considerable concern within the government and had been taken only after other options had been exhausted.

According to Naqvi, the situation had developed over several months, during which federal authorities had repeatedly attempted to secure cooperation from the provincial administration.

He recalled travelling to Peshawar from Karachi and other cities to attend the funeral prayers of security personnel killed in terrorist attacks. Naqvi said provincial government representatives had often failed to attend those funerals.

He maintained that the positions taken by PTI's parliamentary representatives differed considerably from those of some members of its provincial leadership. According to the minister, those differences had contributed to the failure of negotiations and the circumstances that led to the imposition of emergency measures.

Imran Khan's health and access to medical care

Referring to concerns about the health of PTI founder Imran Khan, Naqvi said the opposition had raised the matter for nearly a year and that the government had attempted to address its concerns.

He referred to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, saying both had been involved in discussions concerning medical arrangements.

Naqvi questioned whether the government had failed to arrange detailed briefings from doctors for PTI representatives or to address their concerns.

He further said whenever the government received information suggesting a deterioration in the PTI founder's health, medical examinations had been arranged promptly. Even when a minor concern was communicated following a meeting, medical personnel had been sent to conduct examinations that same night, he added.

Naqvi maintained that such efforts had not always been made public because they concerned sensitive medical matters.

Referring to an issue involving the PTI founder's eye, Naqvi said the government had agreed to arrangements concerning his family and medical treatment. He said the government had accepted the requests presented during discussions but claimed that an additional condition had been introduced after the arrangements were finalised.

According to Naqvi, PTI representatives had initially suggested the name of another individual to be included in the hospital arrangements but later changed their position and insisted on attending themselves.

Turning to meetings with the PTI founder, the interior minister said such meetings had taken place in recent weeks and would continue. He maintained that access to the party's founder was not the central obstacle to political dialogue.

Concluding his address, Naqvi responded to remarks by Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai concerning the legitimacy of lawmakers elected through Form 47.

He said he could not swear on behalf of government lawmakers about the legitimacy of their electoral victories. However, he challenged those questioning the election results to swear that they had themselves won the seats they occupied.

Dar says opposition ignored constitutional provisions on K-P emergency

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar defended the federal government’s constitutional authority to address internal disturbances in K-P, saying the opposition had overlooked key provisions of the Constitution while challenging the move to impose emergency measures in the province.

Also speaking during the joint session, Dar said Article 232(1) of the Constitution clearly outlined the procedure for imposing an emergency and argued that its second proviso had been “conveniently ignored” by the opposition.

“Provided further that if the President acts on his own, the Proclamation of Emergency shall be placed before both Houses of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) for approval by each House within ten days,” he read from the Constitution, urging fellow lawmakers not to mislead the House or misquote the law.

Responding to opposition arguments, Dar said they had referred to Article 148(3) while ignoring Article 143, which dealt with inconsistencies between federal and provincial laws.

Article 148(3) states: “It shall be the duty of the Federation to protect every Province against external aggression and internal disturbances and to ensure that the Government of every Province is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.”

Dar also cited Article 149(4), which provides for the federal government to issue directions to a province to prevent “any grave menace to the peace or tranquillity or economic life of Pakistan or any part thereof”.

He subsequently read Article 234, which deals with a situation in which a provincial government cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution.

Under Article 234(1), if the president, after receiving a report from the governor, is satisfied that such a situation has arisen, the president may assume some or all of the functions of the provincial government or direct the governor to do so on his behalf, subject to the provisions of the article.

Dar said the provision referred to “the satisfaction of the president and not the parliament”.

He also cited Article 234(3), which states that a proclamation issued under the article must be placed before a joint sitting of Parliament and will cease to remain in force after two months unless approved by a resolution of the joint sitting. It may be extended for further periods of up to two months at a time, but cannot remain in force for more than six months.

Turning to the security situation, Dar recalled the rise in terrorism in 2014, when the Army Public School (APS) attack took place, prompting an All Parties Conference (APC) and the formulation of the National Action Plan to combat terrorism.

“This menace of terrorism happened at its peak in 2014 during which APC incident took place. All parties conferences were called and a national action plan was made [to combat terrorism],” he said.

Dar reminded the opposition that PTI founder Imran Khan had participated in those deliberations and that the NAP was subsequently revised during the PTI-led government.

“We paid Rs100 billion annually to wage Zarb-e-Azb against the terrorists, I was the finance minister at the time,” he said, recalling the military operation launched against terrorist groups.

He said the government had initially expected the war to end within a year, but it took four years to eliminate terrorism in the region. According to Dar, the operations resulted in terrorists fleeing to the neighbouring country or dispersing within Pakistan.

He said Operation Raddul Fasaad  was subsequently launched to target those who had dispersed across the country. The combined impact of the two operations and the collective resolve of the people had brought terrorist activity to “virtually zero”, he added.

Dar questioned the opposition over the return of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to the country, asking lawmakers: “Who were the ones who opened the border and allowed the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan to re-enter the country?”

He further questioned why the PTI-led government had released 100 hardened criminals, arguing that the current security crisis had emerged in the aftermath of those decisions. “Few individuals in that party [PTI] are responsible for this mess,” he said.