Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the federal government offered resources and cooperation to successive PTI-led governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to combat terrorism and promote provincial development.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the federal government had offered full cooperation and resources to successive Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to combat terrorism, but claimed that the commitments had not led to meaningful action.
Addressing a federal apex committee meeting on the National Action Plan at the Governor House in Peshawar, the prime minister said the federal government had conveyed the same message during the tenures of former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur and the current provincial leadership under Sohail Afridi.
Shehbaz said the federal government had assured the provincial administrations that both sides would work together to eliminate terrorism and that all available federal resources would be provided for the effort, provided they were used transparently for the province’s development.
However, he said, the promised cooperation had not produced the expected results.
The prime minister questioned whether the federal government could remain passive if a political party’s actions, in his view, threatened national interests and the country’s stability.
“What are we supposed to do if a party resorts to actions against the country? Should we sit with our hands folded and watch the country being destroyed?” he asked, according to the remarks provided.
Shehbaz said the government could not remain a silent spectator if Pakistan’s economy and society faced the risk of serious damage.
“No sensible nation can tolerate such a serious mockery of itself,” he said, emphasizing the need for action to address the situation.
The prime minister described the government’s latest initiative as a final effort to tackle the challenges facing the province. His remarks underscored the federal government’s stated position that cooperation between the center and the provincial administration was necessary to address terrorism and support development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The meeting at the Governor House brought the National Action Plan into focus as the federal government discussed its approach to the security situation in the province. Shehbaz’s comments also highlighted the importance he attached to the transparent use of public resources and coordination between federal and provincial authorities.
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