Fazlur Rehman calls for closed-door parliamentary meeting on K-P security

Political differences over security in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa intensified on Saturday after Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman called for a confidential parliamentary briefing on the province’s worsening security situation while federal ministers defended the government’s emergency measures.

ISLAMABAD: Political differences over security in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa intensified on Saturday after Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman called for a confidential parliamentary briefing on the province’s worsening security situation while federal ministers defended the government’s emergency measures.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore Fazlur Rehman urged the federal government to arrange a joint in-camera session of parliament to explain its counterterrorism strategy and the reasons behind its recent decisions in K-P.

He argued that citizens deserved to understand the government’s plans for tackling militancy and said parliament was the appropriate forum for informing the public through their elected representatives. He also stressed that the country needed confidence in the measures being taken to restore peace.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry responded to the criticism while speaking to the media in Jaranwala. He rejected suggestions that the federal government had introduced governor’s rule to secure political influence or distribute administrative positions among parties following the removal of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in the province.

Talal maintained that the arrangement was intended to address terrorism rather than advance political interests. He said the government had explored other options before taking the decision and argued that restoring security was essential for ordinary activities, including education, business and travel, to continue without fear.

The minister also alleged that the PTI and the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had overlapping interests. Referring to a TTP statement opposing governor’s rule he presented it as support for his claim. These allegations were made by the minister and were not independently established in the supplied report.

Talal further criticised previous negotiations with the militant group and raised concerns about proposals to reintegrate fighters and their families. He said the federal government had repeatedly sought cooperation from K-P’s provincial leadership on security matters.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also criticised the politicisation of the issue. In a statement on social media he said protecting residents and restoring peace should take priority over disputes about the province’s resources and political control.

He called on political parties to support a coordinated campaign against militancy and acknowledged the sacrifices made by Pakistan’s armed forces.

The dispute follows the federal government’s imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in K-P on October 11 under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. The government has cited security concerns and insufficient cooperation from the provincial administration to justify the move.

Fazlur Rehman’s demand for an in-camera session now places parliamentary scrutiny and political cooperation at the centre of the debate over how to address the province’s security challenges.