No separate security policy for KP: Centre

The federal government and the security establishment have conveyed a clear message to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership that there can be no compromise on the country’s counterterrorism policy.

According to informed sources, the PTI leadership has been told in clear terms that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government cannot adopt a security policy separate from that of the federal government.

The sources said the federal government and security establishment view the growing threat of terrorism, particularly in KP and Balochistan, as a consequence of external aggression. They believe Afghan soil is being used to facilitate attacks against Pakistan.

According to the sources, Pakistan’s assessment is that foreign elements are involved in supporting terrorism inside the country. India has been identified as a key player in this regard, while the possible role of Israel is also being discussed in the context of the wider security threat.

The sources said that formulating a national response to such external aggression is the responsibility of the federal government. The policy, they added, would be developed by the Centre in consultation with the military and defence establishment, while provincial governments would be expected to fully support and implement it.

A source involved in talks with PTI leadership said that when the country faces what is being described as external aggression, separate security policies cannot be adopted by different provinces.

The message has gained significance amid growing tensions between the federal government and the PTI-led KP administration, particularly over the province’s approach to the security situation and its political confrontation with the Centre.

According to the sources, PTI leaders were told that the continuing terrorist attacks in KP and the broader security threat have created a situation that the federal government and security establishment consider unacceptable.

Therefore, any provincial mechanism or policy that conflicts with the national security strategy will not be acceptable, the sources said.

The federal government expects the KP government to fully cooperate with security forces and other law-enforcement agencies in implementing the national counterterrorism policy, according to the sources.

They said the purpose of conveying the message to PTI leadership was also to make it clear that political differences between the Centre and the province should not be allowed to weaken the state’s response to security challenges.

The federal government’s position, according to the sources, is that once a national security policy is formulated in response to the threat of external aggression, all provincial governments must support it rather than develop or pursue separate policies.

The sources said the federal government and the security establishment want the KP government to demonstrate through its actions that it fully supports the national security policy and will provide maximum cooperation to security institutions in the fight against terrorism.