Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday said imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province became a compulsion to confront security challenges and protect the economy from instability.
Talking to leaders of his party here after offering condolence over the demise of member National Assembly Bashir Mehmood Virk, he said the government was compelled to impose emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the talks failed in the end despite finalization of a draft to resolve the crisis.
He said he came to condole the death of Barrister Bashir Mehmood Virk, who was a committed and loyal associate of the party and Nawaz Sharif. He praised Maryam Nawaz Sharif for his development work in Punjab and wished him success in her future endeavours.
Talking about the situation in KP, he said he held several meetings with the two former chief ministers of KP and sincerely emphasized that security challenges should be overcome and law and order situation should be improved with a united response for progress and prosperity in the province and for countering the terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
He said thousands of personnel of law enforcement agencies and army laid down their lives while fighting terrorism, adding a large number of citizens fell victim to incidents of terrorism.
He said the long marches in the country in the past damaged the economy, halted exports and imports and affected lives of people. The elements behind the long marches had planned bloodshed in the country so the government was left with no choice to take action, he explained. He said the government formed a committee which held negotiations for 48 hours and consensus was achieved on a draft in order to take back the call for long march but at the end the talks failed and emergency was imposed to avoid bloodshed.
He said the government could not remain silent spectator in such a situation as it would have been criminal negligence and the future generations would not have forgiven so it took a decision in the best interest of the nation.
An Advisory Council of capable and neutral persons was formed for undertaking affairs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, he added.
He lauded the military and political leadership for raising the status of Pakistan in the comity of nations and for stabilizing the economy. He pointed out that situation in the Gulf region caused a storm of inflation in the world, adding with the cooperation of parliamentarians and party workers, the government was successfully providing fuel subsidy to 12 million citizens who have motorcycles, rickshaws and 800 cc cars.
The government will provide subsidy of Rs 75 billion to the people under the fuel subsidy scheme, he said adding 65 million people will benefit directly or indirectly from the subsidy. Meanwhile, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Dr Allama Raghib Hussain Naeemi called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. During the meeting, matters relating to the Council of Islamic Ideology were discussed. Separately, Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif strongly rejected allegations that military institutions were seeking mining contracts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Talking to the media, he categorically rejected claims that the military had taken control of KP’s mineral resources or it wanted to seize them. He claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government issued thousands of licences to PTI leaders and individuals based in the United States for mineral extraction in KP.
He said he had shared figures and relevant details on his tweeter account, adding that the media was free to seek official information from the authorities concerned to independently verify the records. The defence minister said that efforts were made to resolve the situation through dialogue to avoid invoking Articles 232, 234 and 245 of the Constitution. Khawaja Asif said the situation unfolded gradually and several rounds of discussions took place in an attempt to find a solution without resorting to constitutional measures. He said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi tried his best to make negotiations with the PTI successful.
Khawaja Asif said Mohsin Naqvi’s statements in the Senate and National Assembly shed light on the actions of several prominent politicians. He said the details exposed what he described as the questionable political conduct of several prominent figures.
The defence minister also highlighted the contributions of Pakistan’s defence institutions over the past three years in protecting the country’s economic and diplomatic interests. Referring to Operation Bunyanum-Marsoos, he said major developments involving the protection of Pakistan’s national interests had been made possible through the efforts of the country’s defence institutions. The minister said Pakistan’s history has been written in the blood of its martyrs, civilians, police personnel and paramilitary forces, highlighting their sacrifices for the country. He said the sacrifices made by these individuals and security personnel could not be matched, highlighting their role in protecting Pakistan and safeguarding its national interests.
Referring to a series of agreements being concluded by Pakistan, Khawaja Asif said the country’s military leadership was playing a central role in these developments. The defence minister also praised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for his steadfastness in upholding his dignity and principles despite political challenges.