Centre done mulling emergency, option to be availed if KP does not cooperate on counterterrorism: minister

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry revealed on Friday that the Centre has concluded discussions on the potential imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) if the provincial government fails to cooperate on counter-terrorism efforts. During an interview on Geo News' "Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath," Chaudhry warned that if the KP government does not participate, the Centre would enforce an emergency and then eradicate terrorism in the region.

He clarified that the matter of an emergency declaration was still in deliberation and had not been officially announced.

Chaudhry dismissed rumors of a high-level meeting to decide on the emergency, stating that the decision was not finalized. The Centre has repeatedly warned the PTI-led KP government of imposing an emergency or governor's rule due to ongoing security concerns and the PTI's protest against the detention of its founder, Imran Khan. Federal ministers have cited the deteriorating security situation in KP as a reason for considering an emergency, with the possibility of applying the state of emergency in specific districts.

The minister emphasized that the Centre and law enforcement agencies would take decisive action to combat terrorism in KP, regardless of the provincial government's cooperation. If the KP government fails to play its part, the Centre would resort to extraordinary measures. He stated that the consideration of imposing an emergency was not related to the PTI's ongoing protest march and that the Centre's deliberations on this matter had been ongoing due to a high number of casualties among police and law enforcement personnel.

Chaudhry maintained that no decision had been made regarding a specific date for the cutoff point when decisive action against terrorism would be taken. He highlighted that the federal government reached the conclusion that further delays in the fight against terrorism were not feasible, as terrorists could not be allowed to continue their attacks on citizens and law enforcement agencies. However, he noted that the final decision had been made to take decisive action to eliminate terrorism in KP.

The minister acknowledged the possibility of negotiations and dialogue among political parties, but pointed out that there was no consensus within the PTI on appointing Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief, as an arbitrator for talks. Without this consensus, he argued, negotiations could not progress. However, he assured that the door for negotiations and dialogue never closes permanently, and the assurance of cooperation from the PTI leadership regarding counterterrorism efforts would be crucial for a lasting solution.