Muqam warns of rising security risks in KP

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam on Monday warned of growing security risks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the PTI-led long march towards Islamabad continued.

Muqam said the federal government was not in favour of imposing governor’s rule or declaring an emergency in KP. He said such measures would not be politically desirable. However, he stressed that the state could not ignore worsening security conditions.

Speaking at a press conference, Muqam accused the KP government of losing its administrative control over the province. He claimed that government affairs had suffered for the past two to two-and-a-half months.

The minister also criticised KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for leading the march while security challenges were increasing in the province. He alleged that Afridi had shifted his focus away from provincial governance and was pursuing a single political agenda.

Muqam warned that terrorism in KP could pose a threat to the entire country.

“If terrorists take control of KP, the rest of Pakistan will not remain safe,” he said.

He called for the federal government, KP government and security forces to remain united in their efforts against terrorism. He also questioned the provincial government’s commitment to the National Action Plan, asking why only one meeting had been held during the year.

Muqam further criticised the KP government over changes to the provincial police law. He accused it of attempting to weaken the authority of the police.

The minister also discussed the recent talks between the government and opposition over the PTI march. He said negotiations had continued for several hours and multiple drafts had been prepared.

According to Muqam, both sides had initially moved towards issuing a joint statement. However, he said disagreements emerged later in the evening when messages were received seeking changes to the proposed clauses.

The talks eventually ended in a deadlock.

Muqam described the breakdown as unfortunate and questioned how the KP chief minister could publicly lead the march while representatives nominated by the opposition were negotiating with the government.

He reiterated that the PTI march would not be allowed to enter Islamabad. At the same time, he said the government remained willing to hold talks if they were aimed at protecting the country’s interests.

The negotiations had focused mainly on counterterrorism measures in KP and PTI’s demand for access to party founder Imran Khan.

PTI representatives reportedly sought immediate access to Imran for consultation and offered to set aside other demands in exchange. The government, however, did not agree to include such access in the proposed understanding.

Counterterrorism measures also remained a major point of disagreement. The federal government wanted the KP administration to support its security measures, while PTI proposed that representatives from both governments should jointly formulate a comprehensive strategy.

PTI leader Salman Akram Raja later said the talks failed mainly because of differences over counterterrorism operations in KP. He maintained that any such measures should be agreed upon by the federal and provincial governments after consultation with relevant stakeholders.