PM Shehbaz reaches Peshawar in first visit after imposition of governor's rule

On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made his inaugural visit to Peshawar since the governor's rule and emergency were imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11, sources in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) reported. The federal authorities imposed these measures, citing the PTI-led provincial government's "deliberate disengagement" in the battle against terrorism. The decisions were ratified by Parliament amid opposition protests.

During his visit, PM Shehbaz is set to lead the apex committee on terrorism, according to PMO sources. The day prior, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi convened a meeting, with Kundi vowing to implement all federal policies and collaborate with security forces for the province's peace and prosperity.

Kundi also called for enhanced coordination between the Center and the province, asserting that counterterrorism policies will emerge from Islamabad, not Kabul, in a subtle reference to the PTI-led KP government, which has been accused of having ties with terrorist groups by federal officials.

The imposition of governor's rule and emergency in KP was triggered by a mobilization and protest march by the PTI and opposition demanding the release of Imran Khan, currently jailed at the federal level. Intense negotiations between the two sides prior to the imposition had not reached a resolution, with counterterrorism policy being a primary point of contention.

The PTI demanded a review of the counterterrorism strategy, while the federal government accused the KP government of failing to combat terrorism and objected to its position on dialogue with the Afghan Taliban.

In response, the Center authorized the deployment of Pakistan Army troops and assets to assist the civil power in KP. Federal ministers have accused the PTI-led government in KP of having a "nexus" with terrorist groups, claiming that the province's security demands an emergency decree.