Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday defended the imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), stating that the government faced a choice between witnessing daily martyrdoms or taking a difficult decision. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Naqvi said, "We had two options: either we witness martyrdoms on a daily basis or take a difficult decision."
Naqvi explained that the decision was taken against the backdrop of the security situation in the province, maintaining that the federal government had tried for over a month to bring the KP government on board in the fight against terrorism. "Today was not an easy day for us," the interior minister said, adding that he had personally remained in contact with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government behind the scenes.
"Our objective was to bring them on board so that we could fight the war against terrorism together," he added. Naqvi clarified that the federal government had no issue with the PTI's sit-in, stating, "Our issue is terrorism." He revealed that the government remained in contact with PTI leaders until around 11:45pm to seek their response on a proposed draft.
He noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman as part of these efforts, but no response was received. Naqvi claimed that despite multiple revisions to the draft at the PTI's request, the party eventually backed out.
He highlighted that the government had engaged in two days of negotiations where senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser had initially assured cooperation. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar emphasized that terrorism incidents in KP have surged by 196 percent, which he described as extremely alarming.
He accused the provincial government of neglecting public safety. Tarar stated that the federal cabinet decided on the emergency after receiving alarming reports from the Governor, noting that such drastic measures are never taken lightly or with pleasure.
The ministers reiterated that the state's primary responsibility is the protection of its citizens. They maintained that the federal government remains open to dialogue but will not compromise on national security.
The press conference concluded with a call for political maturity, urging all stakeholders to prioritize the country's stability over political agendas during these challenging times.