ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of imposing Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), saying that while the Constitution permits such a step, the federal government has no intention of taking it.
Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Chaudhry said the federal government had acted responsibly and in good faith by providing bullet-proof vehicles to the KP police, but the matter had been unnecessarily politicised.
“The issue has been thrown into the political ring,” he remarked, criticising the KP government’s handling of the matter. He said that Sohail Buzdar’s appointment was made after careful consideration, but described the decision-making in the province as “weak and childish.”
“If the chief minister objects to bullet-proof vehicles, he should hand over his own to the police,” Chaudhry said.
The interior minister emphasised that Article 148 of the Constitution does not grant provinces absolute autonomy in matters of national security. He stressed that counterterrorism efforts were a shared responsibility, not a provincial one.
“Changing the chief minister will not end terrorism,” he warned, adding that the province appeared reluctant to take firm action against militants.
Chaudhry defended the federal government’s support for KP, noting that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had personally instructed the provision of new, modern vehicles to the provincial police despite limited fiscal resources. “We went out of our way to strengthen KP’s capacity,” he said, “but their inaction puts both lives and stability at risk.”
He accused the KP government of leaving police officers exposed to militant threats and urged it to fulfil its duty to protect citizens. “These childish policies could lead to loss of life, and those responsible will be answerable,” he warned.
Separately, the interior minister commented on the ongoing investigations into Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Saad Rizvi. He alleged that authorities had traced dozens of expensive watches and several bank accounts linked to Rizvi, accusing the group of extremist tendencies.
Chaudhry reiterated that the federal government was determined to uphold law and order nationwide and would not allow political considerations to compromise security efforts.
