Summary Shehbaz Sharif says a neutral technocrat advisory council will assist the KP governor, citing security concerns, terrorism and provincial governance failures.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that a neutral technocrat advisory council has been established to assist the governor in improving law and order, strengthening the economy and eliminating terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The prime minister made these remarks during a meeting with a parliamentary delegation comprising representatives of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Zia. He briefed the delegation on the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Sharif said the conduct of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in the province and its reluctance to adopt an unequivocal stance against terrorism had threatened Pakistan’s growing economy. He said the federal cabinet had decided, through mutual consultation, to take constitutional measures under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.
The prime minister alleged that the PTI-led provincial government had neither explicitly condemned terrorism nor taken decisive action against terrorists.
He said numerous personnel of the Pakistan Army, security forces and police had sacrificed their lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past several years while defending the country.
Sharif further alleged that during the past 13 years, the PTI and the provincial government had failed to deliver adequate public welfare services or take sufficient measures to protect citizens’ lives and property, choosing confrontation instead.
The prime minister said the federal government had provided more than Rs800 billion to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the National Finance Commission (NFC) framework to support efforts against terrorism.
Despite this funding, he said, the provincial government had failed to take effective measures to strengthen the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and establish Safe City projects to combat terrorism.
During the meeting, the allied parties’ parliamentary delegation assured the prime minister of its support for the federal government amid the current situation. The delegation also praised Sharif’s leadership and guidance during what it described as challenging circumstances for the country.
The delegation said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been deprived of development in health, education and infrastructure during the PTI government’s 13-year tenure.
It expressed confidence that federal government support would help advance development and prosperity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as in other parts of the country.
The delegation included BAP President and Federal Minister Khalid Magsi, former Senate chairman and MPA Sadiq Sanjrani, and senators Manzoor Kakar, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Dinesh Kumar, Samina Mumtaz Zehri and former senator Fida Muhammad Khan.
PML-Q President and Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain, National Assembly members Muhammad Ilyas Chaudhry and Farah Khan, IPP Minister of State Aun Saqlain Abbas, lawmakers Gul Asghar Khan and Manza Hassan, and Pakistan Muslim League-Zia President and MNA Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq were also part of the delegation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Federal Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs and Interprovincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah also attended the meeting.
