ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) 13-year rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), saying the province had suffered from prolonged developmental neglect.
Addressing a meeting of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentary party at Parliament House, the prime minister urged the party’s provincial leadership to focus on short-term projects that could provide immediate relief to the public.
He said the people of K-P, along with the police, armed forces and political leadership, had made immense sacrifices during the war against terrorism.
Fight Against Terrorism
Shehbaz said Pakistan had suffered significant human and economic losses during the fight against militancy. He recalled that the nation and state institutions had joined forces during former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s tenure to tackle the threat.
The prime minister also referred to the Army Public School (APS) tragedy in Peshawar, describing the killing of innocent children as one of the darkest chapters in the country’s history.
He stressed that the sacrifices of K-P residents, who have remained on the frontline of the fight against militancy, must never be forgotten.
According to figures presented by the Ministry of Interior to the National Assembly, security forces neutralised 2,410 terrorists during 5,143 intelligence-based operations in the first nine months of 2026.
Criticism of PTI
The prime minister accused the PTI of prioritising political slogans and divisive politics over public service. He said persistent problems in Peshawar, Kohistan, Hazara and the province’s southern districts had not received adequate attention.
Shehbaz also expressed concern over the resurgence of terrorism, alleging that militants had been brought back from Afghanistan and resettled in Pakistan during 2019 and 2020.
Revisiting political developments from the previous decade, he said the 2014 sit-in had resulted in the postponement of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan. Xi eventually visited the country in 2015, when several important agreements were signed.
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Police and Security Concerns
Referring to the 2010 National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, Shehbaz said K-P had received an additional 1% share of resources under the arrangement.
He claimed the province had received Rs800 billion through the award but questioned whether sufficient funds had been allocated to strengthen its counterterrorism capabilities.
The prime minister also questioned how many Safe City projects had been established in the province and why approximately 5,000 vacant police positions had remained unfilled.
He said available resources should have been used to equip the police with modern weapons and provide professional training.
Shehbaz further alleged that repeated calls by the federal government for coordinated action against terrorism had not received the desired response from the PTI-led provincial administration.
Governor’s Rule Decision
The prime minister defended the decision to impose governor’s rule and an emergency in K-P, saying it had been taken because of unavoidable circumstances.
He said efforts had been made to resolve the matter through negotiations, with committees representing the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and PML-N holding discussions for 48 hours.
However, according to Shehbaz, the agreed draft could not secure the necessary approval.
He maintained that action had become necessary to protect the public, the country’s economy and society, warning that further delays could have caused additional damage to the province.
Fuel Relief Package
Shehbaz said the federal government had introduced relief measures to help citizens cope with rising energy prices linked to international developments and the Gulf conflict.
He said Rs75 billion had been allocated to a fuel subsidy scheme that had benefited approximately 13 million people.
The prime minister added that economic stabilisation remained a priority and said the political and military leadership had worked together to steer Pakistan away from economic difficulties.
He reiterated that the PML-N would continue pursuing development, prosperity and public welfare initiatives for the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
