ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Monday described the imposition of an emergency and Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as a “very welcome change,” saying the measures would help eliminate terrorism from the province.
Addressing a seminar on terrorism in KP in Islamabad, Tarar said the steps taken a day earlier would empower the people of the province to fight terrorism and help restore peace and stability.
“Pakistan has been fighting terrorism for several decades and has sacrificed more than 90,000 lives,” he said, highlighting the heavy human cost of the country’s fight against militancy.
Referring to Pakistan’s role in facilitating US-Iran negotiations, the information minister said the mediation efforts had demonstrated that Pakistan was a peace-loving country committed to resolving conflicts through dialogue.
He stressed that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was essential for the entire region, saying improved stability would help strengthen trade and bilateral relations.
The minister also referred to recent terrorist attacks against Pakistan, saying the country had responded to the threats while remaining committed to peaceful coexistence.
“People of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa want terrorism to come to an end,” Tarar said, adding that the people of the region deserved development, prosperity, security and lasting peace.
We had no choice but to impose emergency in KP: Ishaq Dar
He questioned how terrorism could be eliminated if Afghanistan continued to provide support to terrorist groups.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar said the federal government had no choice but to impose an emergency and Governor’s Rule in KP in view of the worsening security situation and persistent threat of terrorism.
Addressing the same seminar, Dar said the decision was not politically motivated but had been taken in response to the menace of terrorism that had plagued the province over the past decade.
He described the imposition of emergency measures as a difficult decision, stressing that ensuring the safety and security of citizens was the federal government’s responsibility.
“There was no solution other than what we did yesterday,” Dar said, adding that the government would fully implement the measures and that their impact would become evident in the coming months.