Key developments
- PM Shehbaz, President Zardari discuss country’s security and political situation
- NA, Senate sessions summoned on Tuesday
- KP Governor Kundi, Interior Minister Naqvi meet President Zardari
- PM and JUI-F chief speak on reducing tensions between Centre, KP govt; two also hold meeting at PM House
- Minister calls possible imposition of emergency a “last resort” but says things headed towards “last option”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday met with President Asif Ali Zardari, with the country’s overall security and political situation coming under discussion as the federal government mulls imposing an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A statement issued by the President House said the premier was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Adviser to the PM on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.
It said that PPP’s Sherry Rehman and Syed Naveed Qamar were also present.
“It was agreed during the meeting to convene separate sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate on Tuesday (Oct 13),” the statement said.
Later, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Naqvi called on President Zardari in a separate meeting, the President House said.
The president was briefed on the country’s “overall security situation, particularly the worsening law and order situation” in KP. He was also informed about KP’s “security and matters relating to law and order in the country”.
Sharing a video on X, Kundi wrote, “KP has sacrificed enough. Protecting lives and defeating terrorism must take precedence over political interests.”
Earlier in the day, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam had also met Kundi at Governor House in Peshawar.
The flurry of meetings followed heightened tensions between the PML-N-led federal government and the KP government led by the PTI — which is in opposition in the Centre. They have been at odds over various issues, particularly on the counterterrorism policy, which was one of the main reasons behind the breakdown of their Oct 3 talks.
The PTI has said it was being left out of security decisions concerning KP, which the Centre has denied. It also calls for reviewing the counterterrorism policy, while the latter criticises the KP government’s efforts to combat terrorism in the province and objects to its stance on dialogue with the Afghan Taliban.
In recent days, federal ministers have assailed the PTI for staging a protest long march, which it has been warned against, at a time when KP faces security challenges. They have also linked differences over the counterterrorism policy with the possibility of an emergency or governor’s rule in KP.
Earlier on Saturday, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar assailed the KP government over a “lack of governance” in the province, alleging that the provincial administration was given Rs700 billion under the National Finance Commission for development projects.
“You did not upgrade the Counter Terrorism Department, did not establish forensic labs, did not install safe city cameras, which should be installed in the merged districts and all the entry-exit points of KP’s districts,” he alleged.
The information minister claimed that the PTI was instead spending this money on organising protests.
Minister says things headed toward ‘last option’
Speaking to Geo News on Saturday, Minister of State for Interior Affairs Tallal Chaudhry said that consultations were ongoing when asked about the imposition of an emergency in KP.
“This is something that requires comprehensive consultations,” he said. “This is not something we are in favour of as we are a democratic government, and this is a last resort.”
Chaudhry added that multiple options were being examined at different levels but questioned what other avenues were available, with the PTI failing to fulfil the federal government’s requests to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, and inciting people and speaking against national policy during the ongoing long march.
“Again, I say consultations are ongoing, and this is a last resort. The options before this, such as talks and backdoor discussions … we tried everything. We will try to make sure we think through this last step if there is no other option, but it looks like things are headed towards the last option,” he stressed.
The state minister added that ties with the PTI remained in place, as they are the opposition in parliament and currently govern KP.
“I previously said that during the second round of talks, the interior minister met the prime minister and told him that the KP government is ready to cooperate in fighting terrorism,” Chaudhry recounted.
“The prime minister told him to give KP whatever they need to fight terrorism on a political level, but they had to gather with us to fight terrorism and stand with our security forces.”
Chaudhry added that the federal government gave the PTI relevance and space, even at the expense of the ruling PML-N’s political goals, and that the government was not focused on politics but on the state and maintaining peace.
“We are ready to give everything and we have no ego. Whether we are in the government or opposition, our ego is Pakistan and it is not bigger than Pakistan,” he emphasised.
“We hoped that we could do this together and on a single platform, but how many martyrs are the prime minister and chief of army staff going to carry on their shoulders? These people [the PTI] are not ready to carry the burden with us or stand with us, so what other option is left?”
PM speaks to Fazl on reducing tensions between Centre, KP govt
Separately, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam—Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman met PM Shehbaz in Islamabad after the two discussed reducing tensions between the Centre and the KP government during a phone call.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister Office (PMO), the two held consultations on “important national and political matters”.
An earlier statement by the JUI-F confirmed that Fazl had departed for the talks on the “country’s political situation”.
JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri, in the statement, said Fazl also took the “PTI leadership into confidence” before heading for the meeting with the prime minister.
An earlier statement from the PMO said PM Shehbaz had called the JUI-F chief and congratulated him on performing Umrah and extended an invitation for talks at the Prime Minister House.
The two also discussed reducing tensions between the Centre and the KP government during the phone call, the statement said.
The phone call follows recent contacts between Fazl, known for his engagement with politicians from across the board, and the opposition.
On Tuesday, TTAP leaders called on Fazl at his residence, following which the veteran politician advised the federal government not to obstruct the PTI long march heading towards Islamabad, as protests were a democratic right enjoyed by all political parties.
The next day, PM’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq met the JUI-F chief.
On Thursday, PTI MNA Junaid Akbar confirmed that Fazl had offered to play a role in ending the deadlock between the government and opposition, adding that the PTI’s “doors are open” to it.
Speaking on Geo News, Akbar had said no framework had been put forward by Fazl regarding his role in the negotiations, although he noted that the JUI-F chief had been in touch with PTI leadership while he was away for Umrah.
The same day, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also hinted at efforts to restart negotiations between the Centre and the opposition, saying, “I wish a positive result comes out of the efforts of those involved in the talks. But, I have little hope.”
Speaking to Dawn, JUI-F spokesman Aslam Ghauri said his party chief was playing the role of a “facilitator, not a mediator”.
He distinguished the two roles by saying that a mediator would have the authority from opposition parties to make their own decision in light of their demands.
“It is our (JUI-F’s) priority to bring both sides on table for resumption of talks,” he added, pointing out that they had urged the government to call a multi-party conference in Parliament House, where political and security issues should be discussed.
The JUI-F leader said sitting at the table would benefit both sides, though the resumption of dialogue would mostly benefit the PTI because the KP government is “virtually being run by someone else and not by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi”.
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