Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that the government would not allow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters to enter Islamabad as part of their long march. He accused the party and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government of failing to cooperate with the federal government on tackling terrorism. He also said the government remained ready for dialogue.
Speaking at a federal cabinet meeting, Shehbaz questioned whether the PTI-led KP government would keep staying silent as terrorist attacks increased in the province. He said the law would take its course and that he would not allow a repeat of what he described as attempts to disrupt the country. Referring to the march towards the federal capital, he said the party had planned an attack on Islamabad.
Shehbaz vows to stop PTI march and seeks KP cooperation
The prime minister asked whether the KP government intended to repeat the same course of action, and said the march would not be allowed to enter Islamabad. He said the federal government, together with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), had sent a delegation to engage with the PTI leadership. He presented this as evidence that the government had tried to resolve political differences through talks.
Shehbaz stressed that the KP government should stand alongside the federal government in fighting terrorism. He accused it of remaining silent despite repeated attacks in the province. He urged the provincial administration to work with the Centre and the security forces, saying counterterrorism required collective action rather than political confrontation.
The remarks came amid heightened tensions between the federal government and the PTI-led provincial administration over the long march and counterterrorism policy. The federal government has reportedly been considering extraordinary measures in KP over security and governance concerns, while the PTI has opposed the possible imposition of emergency rule or governor’s rule in the province.
Prime minister questions KP’s handling of counterterrorism funds
Shehbaz said terrorism had increased in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past two years, with politicians and civilians losing their lives in attacks. He said the armed forces were eliminating terrorists. He called on the provincial government to give the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) the resources it needed to tackle militancy.
He said around Rs800 billion was being transferred to KP and argued that the funds should have helped strengthen the provincial police and the CTD. However, he said these institutions had not been strengthened sufficiently despite continued attacks. “I do not want to go into where this money went,” he said, while questioning how the provincial government had handled the resources.
The prime minister also said the provincial government had failed to speak out adequately against the continuing attacks in the province.
Government says talks with PTI remain open
Shehbaz said the government had sought engagement with the opposition to resolve differences, including through the delegation of government and PPP representatives. He said the provincial government should cooperate with the Centre on security matters rather than let political differences hold back the fight against terrorism.
His remarks followed unsuccessful negotiations between the government and PTI over the party’s demands and its proposed march to Islamabad. He had earlier urged the opposition to call off the protest and return to the negotiating table. The government has maintained that political issues should be resolved through dialogue, but has also warned that it would take legal action against those violating the law.
PTI has continued its protest campaign. It is demanding the release of its jailed founder, Imran Khan, and access to him for his family and legal team.
In the same cabinet remarks, Shehbaz said all matters were proceeding smoothly, though some people did not want the country’s affairs to run properly. He said he had met Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday. “I have briefed the cabinet on the entire situation today,” he said.
