GUJRANWALA: Prime Minister Muhammad 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 finalisation 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 said Bashir Virk was like a brother to him and he had a long association with him.
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Bashir Virk was a very decent, capable, wise and sober person and his passing away was a great loss for his family and for the party, he said adding Nawaz Sharif as a man of vision always chose Bashir Virk over others as a candidate for Parliament.
He praised Maryam Nawaz Sharif for development work in Punjab and wished success in her future endeavours.
Talking about the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said he held several meetings with the two former chief ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and sincerely emphasised 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.
In the past, he said, the long marches 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 stabilising 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 Rs75 billion to the people under the fuel subsidy scheme, he said adding 65 million people will benefit directly or indirectly from the subsidy.