PM Shehbaz Sharif briefs MQM-P delegation on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa situation

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has briefed a delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on the political and security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as discussions continue over the federal government’s decisions concerning the province.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has briefed a delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on the political and security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as discussions continue over the federal government’s decisions concerning the province.

According to an official statement, the meeting was led by MQM-P convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and covered the country’s overall political situation. The prime minister explained the government’s position on recent developments in KP saying a difficult decision had been taken in what he described as the province’s best interests.

Shehbaz Sharif said the federal government had made extensive efforts to avoid taking such a step and had engaged in negotiations with an open mind. However he claimed that the other side had failed to provide a positive response.

The prime minister also raised concerns about security incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stating that terrorist attacks had targeted civilians and security personnel. He criticised the provincial government alleging that it had not spoken out firmly enough against militant groups.

Discussing the political situation Sharif further claimed that a long march threatened to undermine Pakistan’s improving economic conditions.

According to the official statement the MQM-P delegation expressed full support for the federal government’s decisions regarding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The meeting reflected consultations between the prime minister and an allied political party over the province’s security challenges and the government’s policy response.

The delegation included Federal Minister Mustafa Kamal, Senator Aamir Waliuddin Chishti, Senator Khalida Ateeb, Dr Farooq Sattar, Abdul Aleem Khan, Syed Waseem Hussain, Aasia Ishaq and Javed Hanif Khan.

Other participants included Moeen Aamir Pirzada, Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Hassan Sabir, Sadiq Iftikhar, Arshad Abdullah Vohra, Syed Hafizuddin, Aminul Haque, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui, Farhan Chishti, Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Sabin Ghori, Rana Ansar, Sofia Saeed and Sanjay Parwani.

The meeting comes amid continued political debate over security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa negotiations between political stakeholders and the federal government’s approach to provincial governance.

The prime minister’s remarks and the delegation’s stated support highlight the government’s efforts to consult its political allies as it addresses these issues.