WorldPosted at: Oct 22 2026 8:29PM


Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif defends imposition of governor rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accuses PTI of undermining peace efforts

Peshawar, Oct 22 (UNI) Defending the imposition of Governor's rule and clamping of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the decision had been taken "under extreme compulsion" as his government pledged to restore security and accelerate development in the province.
Sharif made the remarks while addressing a meeting of the federal apex committee in Peshawar to review the security situation. It was his first visit to the province since governor's rule and an emergency were imposed on October 11.
Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff - Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, federal ministers and newly appointed provincial advisers attended the meeting.
Describing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a beautiful province, Sharif pledged to bring it development on a par with other parts of Pakistan.
"I hope we work hard day and night and speedily make progress towards development and prosperity," he said. "I promise that, with the cooperation of the field marshal, we will bring back happiness to this province."
Sharif said peace had been restored across Pakistan, including KP, by 2017 and 2018 through sacrifices made by the armed forces, security agencies and civilians. He claimed around 80,000 people had been killed in the country's war against terrorism, which had also caused billions of dollars in economic losses.
He went on to accuse the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government of undermining years of efforts in elimination of terrorism by allowing militants to return after peace had been established, saying that KP residents had borne the consequences, with several political families also suffering losses during the fight against militancy.
Sharif alleged that the previous provincial administration had neglected education, healthcare and public safety. He said 5,000 police vacancies had remained unfilled during its tenure and the Safe City project was still incomplete.
He also criticised what he described as inadequate attention to the Counter-Terrorism Department, police training and the provision of modern weapons and equipment to security personnel.
The premier added that KP had received more than PKR800 billion under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award for counterterrorism efforts. Under the 2010 NFC Award, provinces had agreed to provide additional resources to KP in recognition of its frontline role in the fight against terrorism, he said and expressed regret that militancy had resurged despite the funding.
He also levelled corruption allegations against the previous provincial government, claiming PKR100 billion had been embezzled from a clean drinking water project and corruption worth PKR37 billion had been uncovered in the Kohistan mega scandal. He further alleged that contracts under a placer gold project had been awarded to favoured individuals.
Sharif said an advisory council comprising experts from various fields had been established to help address the province's problems. He thanked coalition partners for supporting the imposition of governor's rule, particularly President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Nawaz Sharif.
The prime minister also expressed grief over deaths caused by a school roof collapse, saying the people of KP had endured years of deprivation and deserved access to basic services.
Referring to the province's cultural heritage, Sharif called it the land of "Rahman Baba" and "Khushal Khan Khattak", and pledged to work with the military leadership to restore peace, improve public services and deliver greater prosperity to residents.
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Tags: #Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif defends imposition of governor rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa# accuses PTI of undermining peace efforts
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