PM Shehbaz arrives in Peshawar for apex committee meeting, security briefing

PESHAWAR:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Peshawar on Thursday to attend an apex committee meeting on the law and order situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), with a major development package for the province also expected to be announced during his visit, sources said.

According to sources, the prime minister was scheduled to receive a briefing on the security situation in the province and participate in the apex committee meeting, which will discuss peace and stability in K-P.

Members of the provincial advisory council arrived at Governor House to meet PM Shehbaz, while relevant officials of the Regional Development Secretariat were also present there, sources added.

The prime minister is also expected to address a grand jirga during his visit.

The visit marked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s first trip to Peshawar since the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11, which resulted in the suspension of the provincial government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The federal government imposed the measures under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, citing a deterioration in the security situation, an increase in terrorist attacks, and what it described as the provincial administration’s failure to cooperate effectively in counter-terrorism efforts.

Under the new arrangement, executive powers were transferred to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, assisted by an advisory council, while emergency measures were imposed in 12 districts. The PTI rejected the federal government’s position and opposed the move. 

The decision followed weeks of tensions between the Centre and the PTI-led provincial administration, alongside negotiations aimed at securing agreement on a joint strategy against terrorism.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the federal government had made repeated attempts to obtain the provincial government’s cooperation before resorting to the constitutional measures. Prime Minister Shehbaz also said the government had been left with no alternative after negotiations failed to produce an agreement.

The first provincial Apex Committee meeting following the imposition of governor’s rule was held at Governor House on October 12, co-chaired by Governor Kundi and Interior Minister Naqvi. The meeting reviewed the security situation and counter-terrorism measures, with participants agreeing to strengthen the police and Counter-Terrorism Department through additional equipment, vehicles, weapons and manpower. The forum also called for coordinated action by relevant institutions to restore peace and improve law and order.