Tried till last moment to avoid emergency, provincial government did not cooperate: Naqvi

ISLAMABAD (Atemad Desk): Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said the federal government tried until the last moment to avoid the need to impose emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to settle matters through talks. However, he said, the provincial government did not cooperate on the issue of terrorism.

Speaking at a joint session of Parliament, he said there were also great difficulties in setting up an apex committee in the province. An apex committee meeting was held in Peshawar in February this year. According to him, security personnel kept being martyred in acts of terrorism, but the next day the chief minister would speak against the army.

The interior minister said he had met Sohail Afridi in person several times. Asad Qaiser was also told that there was a difference between his stance and what the provincial government was saying. He said terrorism remained their first priority during the talks, and the government itself never walked out of the negotiations.

He said no political party should be accused of terrorism, and the facts should be examined before any party is linked to it. Mohsin Naqvi advised the political leadership concerned to sit down with its provincial leadership and review where the mistake was made. He said a press release had been issued on the matter, but the parties concerned did not condemn terrorism.