Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday that the federal government’s month-long efforts to secure the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s cooperation against terrorism had failed, prompting the Centre to impose emergency in the province.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, he said the decision was driven by security concerns rather than political differences with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Naqvi claimed that he remained in contact with PTI leaders until 11:45pm on Saturday, urging them to agree on a proposed draft, but received no response. Efforts by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to bridge differences also failed to produce an agreement.
Naqvi said the Centre had no objection to the PTI’s planned long march towards Islamabad, stressing that its primary concern was counterterrorism. He added that an agreement during the October 3 negotiations, or even a last-minute breakthrough, could have prevented the emergency measures.
Describing the security situation as critical in 12 KP districts, he said the government had proposed strengthening the provincial police in phases, beginning with five districts, and transferring security responsibilities within six months.
He claimed the Centre had offered additional funding, but the plan had made no progress despite being discussed four months earlier.
Naqvi alleged that the PTI negotiating team had agreed to emergency measures in 12 districts but was reluctant to be seen engaging with the federal government. He also raised allegations about the party’s connections with the Taliban without providing further details.
The minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had previously sought dialogue with the opposition and proposed forming a committee, but the government received no confirmation. Formal negotiations were subsequently held on October 3.
According to Naqvi, PTI MNA Asad Qaiser had firmly supported an uncompromising stance against terrorism during the talks. However, the negotiations stalled after the government’s committee discovered that the opposition had submitted a revised draft, despite the KP chief minister having earlier authorised his team to reach an agreement.
Naqvi stated that the Centre had exhausted efforts to resolve the matter through dialogue, describing the emergency decision as a difficult step taken in response to the worsening security situation.
