DPM Dar defends emergency and governor's rule in KP, says measures not politically motivated

A day after the government imposed emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar defended the move, asserting it was not politically motivated but aimed at combating terrorism. Addressing a seminar in Islamabad, Dar cited the PTI-led provincial government's "deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism" as the reason for the federal government's actions.

He emphasized that the move was taken to curb terrorism, which the province had been afflicted with for the past fifteen years. Dar vowed that the ruling party PML-N had suffered a "heavy political cost" when the country was on the brink of default in 2022 due to the measures taken. The Cabinet recommended the emergency and governor's rule, citing the need to address the security situation in the province.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also defended the federal government's actions, warning against misconstruing Pakistan's desire for peace as weakness. He highlighted Pakistan's role in the global war against terrorism, noting the heavy human and economic losses incurred. Tarar also praised Pakistan's mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, emphasizing the country's commitment to peace and stability in the region.