What happened
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over its 13-year rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), questioning whether funds allocated to the province were used transparently for public welfare, according to Dawn. Speaking at a PML-N parliamentary party meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister stated that the party failed to fulfill its pledges to build hospitals, universities, schools, dams, and solar power projects across KP.
Key facts
According to Dawn, the primary points raised regarding the political and security situation in KP include:
- Governance and Security Spending: Prime Minister Shehbaz questioned the lack of Safe City projects and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) improvements in KP, noting that substantial funds were provided to the province under National Finance Commission arrangements to combat terrorism.
- Human and Economic Toll: The prime minister highlighted that terrorism in Pakistan has claimed approximately 80,000 lives and resulted in economic losses of around Rs15,000 billion. He commended former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's anti-terrorism policies following the 2014 Army Public School attack.
- Criticism of Protests: Shehbaz Sharif criticized PTI's history of protests and sit-ins, noting that a 2014 protest caused the postponement of Chinese President Xi Jinping's planned visit to Pakistan. He also criticized the settlement of militants from Afghanistan in Swat.
- Governor's Rule: Emergency and governor's rule were imposed in KP on Oct 11 due to the provincial leadership's deliberate disengagement from counterterrorism efforts. Parliament later approved the move despite opposition criticism. Negotiations between a PPP-PML-N committee and KP leadership had previously broken down after final approvals failed to materialize.
- Directives for Lawmakers: Lawmakers from KP were urged to put long-term projects on hold and focus on short-term welfare initiatives to address public needs over the next six months to a year.
Why it matters
The statements underscore deep political divisions and disagreement on counterterrorism strategies between the federal administration and PTI, according to Dawn. Federal officials asserted that the provincial government's lack of cooperation on security issues made the emergency intervention necessary.
Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 31, 2026 · Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
