ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has stated that the imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not an easy decision for the federal government, highlighting that efforts were made for over a month to build consensus with the provincial leadership, but all contacts and negotiations ultimately failed to yield a breakthrough.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Samar Haroon Bilour, Mohsin Naqvi explained that the federal government sought to unite with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration to tackle terrorism, emphasizing that the fight against terrorism must be fought jointly across all levels of government.
The interior minister shared that the federal authorities remained in continuous dialogue with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government, making progress on multiple fronts.
Most demands raised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were already being addressed prior to their long march call, with formal meetings and discussions actively ongoing.
Questioning the timing of the protest call, Naqvi asked why the long march was announced when progress was being actively made on key demands and issues were near resolution.
Mohsin Naqvi revealed that intense talks between the federal government and PTI continued for two days, during which the proposed draft was finalized four times.
The federal government accepted five to six amendments suggested by PTI. However, despite reaching a mutual consensus on all points, a completely new draft suddenly emerged late at night.
Efforts were made to arrange a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leaders on September 15 or 16 prior to his foreign departure to normalize the political situation.
A formal talks committee was established following the leadership meeting to facilitate two days of continuous dialogue with PTI representatives.
During these discussions, PTI leader Asad Qaisar expressed a firm resolve to stand united in the war against terrorism, reaffirming that no step back would be taken in this fight.
Furthermore, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sohail Afridi, had initially agreed to the pre-decided draft terms, with communication lines remaining active until midnight.
Despite reaching consensus on most clauses, the federal government requested suggestions regarding a single specific paragraph of the draft, to which PTI provided no response.
It was agreed during discussions that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would meet the opposition leader to formally request postponing the long march, but political contacts failed to achieve a resolution.
Even mediation efforts, including a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, as well as Maulana’s subsequent meetings with PTI leaders, could not resolve the deadlock.
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Given the complete impasse over joint counter-terrorism efforts and provincial stability, the federal government ultimately determined that the imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had become unavoidable.
