Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) had been imposed under “extreme compulsion”.
Addressing a meeting of the federal apex committee in Peshawar, he pledged to restore peace and accelerate development in the province. Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and senior officials attended the meeting.
The PM blamed the previous PTI-led provincial government for the resurgence of militancy and alleged neglect of public services. He said around 80,000 people had lost their lives in the war against terrorism, while the country had suffered billions of dollars in economic losses.
Shehbaz also highlighted security-related shortcomings, including vacant police positions and delays in completing the Safe City project. He said more than Rs800 billion had been allocated to KP under the National Finance Commission Award to support counterterrorism efforts.
He also levelled corruption allegations against the previous provincial government over development projects. Announcing the formation of an advisory council comprising experts from various fields, he pledged federal support for improving security, healthcare, education and infrastructure, saying the people of KP deserved peace, prosperity and better public services.
Pakistan, Maldives Target $200m Bilateral Trade in Two Years