ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry has defended the federal government’s decision to reclaim vehicles, police equipment and personnel provided to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police, accusing the provincial leadership of politicising life-saving resources.
Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament House on Tuesday, he said “Maulana Fazlur Rehman has called his workers to come to Islamabad; we are making arrangements for that as well.” He added the government would continue efforts to bring the Maulana “on board” and would not allow him to be alienated, describing him as a political and religious figure whose suggestions have always been respected.
State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry targeted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) provincial authorities, particularly Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, announcing that the federal government, Ministry of Interior, and Interior Minister would reclaim previously provided resources, rejecting claims that the vehicles were unserviceable.
He argued that the equipment should have been distributed from the Rs600 bn federal funds allocated to KP for counter-terrorism. Criticising KP’s “childish” political motives, Chaudhry alleged the chief minister’s appointment served ulterior agendas. “You can replace chief ministers as often as you like, but you cannot stop our actions,” he warned, affirming the continuation of the National Action Plan and anti-terror operations. He accused some KP leaders of abandoning police on the battlefield, warning that those politicising security would be responsible for any loss of life and that those weakening the state through terrorism would gain politically.
On Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Chaudhry called its agenda “unclear” and leadership “extremist,” alleging their leaders profited from denounced banking systems, with plans to expose a hundred accounts involving crores in transactions.
In a related development, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to accept the bulletproof vehicles from the federal government and make efforts to secure other resources. “I don’t know why Chief Minister Sohail Afridi returned the vehicles. If the vehicles were fine, they should have been kept and efforts made to get more,” he told the media after addressing a ceremony.
Kundi stated the chief minister should have sufficient powers to make certain decisions independently and should also coordinate with the Punjab government for a meeting with the PTI founder. He revealed PTI members had met him and he had given them a positive response, adding his earlier meeting with the chief minister had been positive. “If I get a positive response from him again, I will reciprocate positively,” he remarked.
Regarding Pak-Afghan tensions, he said Pakistani officials had on several occasions informed the Afghan authorities that their soil was being used for terrorist activities, but Afghanistan did not respond. “We want peace, but we will not allow anyone’s land to be used against Pakistan,” he stressed, while noting efforts were underway to reopen the border for trade.
Meanwhile, responding sharply to Federal Minister Talal Chaudhry’s statement, PTI leader and former adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister, Barrister Dr. Muhammad Ali Saif, challenged Chaudhry and other federal ministers to visit KP’s border areas in the supplied bulletproof vehicles to assess their substandard quality. Saif criticised the federal government’s lack of seriousness in combating terrorism, accusing it of treating KP like a stepchild. He stressed that terrorism is a national issue, not just KP’s, and highlighted the province’s sacrifices in preventing its spread. Urging practical federal support, Saif called for dialogue with local tribal elders and Afghanistan to eradicate terrorism, noting that tensions between the two Muslim neighbours serve no one’s interest.