PM Shehbaz meets President Zardari as Centre mulls imposition of emergency in KP

AI Summary

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss Pakistan's security and political situation as the federal government considers imposing an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Tensions between the federal government and the PTI-led provincial administration center on counterterrorism policy, governance, and the opposition's planned protest.

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 Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Attorney General 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. The development comes as the PML-N-led federal government and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government led by the PTI — which is in opposition in the Centre — have been at odds over various issues, particularly on the counterterrorism policy. 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. On the other hand, the information minister claimed that the PTI was 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, PM Shehbaz had a telephone call with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam—Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, with reducing tensions between the Centre and the KP government among the topics discussed. According to a statement from the Prime Minister Office (PMO), PM Shehbaz congratulated the JUI-F leader on performing Umrah and extended an invitation for talks at the Prime Minister House. “Maulana Fazlur Rehman accepted