Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the remarks of former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi, arguing that Pakistan’s adversaries would not speak in such a manner. Speaking at a preliminary meeting of the PML-N committee, Sharif described the former chief minister’s statements as unacceptable.
Sharif said the federal government had been forced to take tough decisions about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after consultations and once dialogue had failed. He maintained that efforts to reach an agreement had been made, with representatives of the Pakistan Peoples Party and PML-N taking part in the talks.
Collapsed talks and last-minute changes to the draft
According to the prime minister, the negotiations had reached a point where an agreement looked certain and every condition had been settled. However, he said, the draft was altered at the final moment. He added that the parties had already agreed a joint draft before negotiators asked for time to brief the KP chief minister, and that the situation changed once they went to do so, causing the talks to fall apart.
Sharif further alleged that the opposing side had been instructed to recreate the events of May 9 and even go further. He said another attempt at resolution followed, including two meetings with JUI-F chief Fazal ur Rehman, one held at night and another at dawn.
D-Chowk references and the cabinet’s emergency decision
Sharif asked who was unaware of what happened at D-Chowk the previous year, pointing to earlier protests. He recalled that demonstrators had washed clothes and dug graves at the site in 2013 and 2014, and that their sit-ins had forced the postponement of a Chinese president’s visit to Pakistan.
He also said that opponents, rather than backing the government and armed forces in the fight against terrorism, had kept up accusations and demonstrations. Sharif claimed preparations had been made for a sit-in involving weapons and asked whether any country could tolerate that. A federal cabinet meeting lasted two and a half hours, he said, after which the government concluded it had to act to protect the public. He said there had been no option but emergency measures, and that nothing mattered more than Pakistan.
Terrorism, development and the KP advisory council
Sharif said the government’s first priority was eliminating terrorism and restoring peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He accused the provincial government of not fully cooperating in that fight and of prioritising long marches over development. He said residents had been waiting 13 years for development and peace and deserved better public services and security.
He said the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and groups referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij were involved in terrorism. Sharif linked the following activities to the criminal networks he said were helping terrorism grow:
- Extortion
- Vehicles on which customs duty had not been paid
- Drug trafficking
He also said terrorists were demanding the separation of Balochistan and questioned how talks could be held with those who speak against Pakistan’s integrity. Sharif claimed Saudi Arabia, China, Türkiye and Qatar had also tried to persuade the Afghan government, without success. Experts have been added to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advisory Council to work on provincial issues, and he expressed hope that its members would deliver results.
IMF praise and the government’s commitment to KP
Sharif said decisions on the province had been taken after consultations and out of necessity, insisting the government could not stay silent while the situation worsened. He said it would work with commitment to bring peace and development to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In closing, Sharif recalled a meeting with the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, who described Pakistan as a “new Pakistan” and praised the reforms it had introduced. Sharif said he had credited that progress to teamwork.
