ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that anyone required to restore law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), including Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, will be taken into protective custody, ARY News reported.
Addressing a press conference, Naqvi said those who were wanted would also be arrested, adding that protesters had been asked to disperse or face action.
“The group staging the protest should disperse. Those who are caught will face action,” the interior minister said.
Naqvi said the federal government had spent more than a month trying to take the KP government on board in the fight against terrorism. He said he had remained in contact with the provincial government and held several meetings with Sohail Afridi on the security situation.
“Our only objective was to take the KP government on board in the fight against terrorism,” he said, adding that he had told the provincial government that the federal government was ready to provide funds if there was a shortage.
The minister said 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were facing serious security challenges. He added that terrorism in the province had increased by 195 per cent over the past year and a half.
Naqvi said the government had made several attempts to reach an agreement with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on counterterrorism measures. According to him, a draft was finalised three times during negotiations, but another draft emerged afterwards.
He said he remained in contact with PTI leaders until 11:45pm the previous night and asked them to suggest any changes to the draft. However, he claimed that the party’s leaders did not respond despite repeated requests.
The interior minister said PTI had agreed during negotiations to impose an emergency in 12 districts of KP. He added that his meetings with Sohail Afridi had focused on terrorism rather than politics.
Naqvi said the province and the federal government could not pursue separate policies on terrorism. He also claimed that the provincial government had contacts with the Taliban, stressing that the fight against terrorism could not be conducted in isolation.
He said the government had taken a difficult decision regarding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and would take all necessary steps to restore peace. He added that any financial requirements for the province would be met.
The minister also clarified that no changes were being made to the administrative units of KP. He said the appointment of an additional chief secretary would follow a model similar to the one used in South Punjab.
Naqvi said the government had also made progress in improving the security situation in Balochistan.
Recalling the negotiations ahead of the planned long march, the minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had intended to meet opposition leaders before travelling to New York on September 17 and request that the march be postponed.
He said the prime minister and the president had agreed during a meeting to form a committee for negotiations. According to Naqvi, PTI leader Asad Qaiser had assured him that the party would not step back from the fight against terrorism and would work jointly with the federal government.
Naqvi said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), rather than the federal government, had maintained that the long march should be postponed.
He urged protesters to disperse, warning that the government would take action against those who refused to comply.
