KP assembly to be restored in 6 months, provincial govt may take 1-2 years to return: Dar

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday that the measures taken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are in accordance with the Constitution and the law, adding that the federal government would fully support the province’s Advisory Council.

Speaking in the Senate, Dar said the provincial assembly would be restored after six months, while the return of the provincial government could take one to two years, depending on when conditions on the ground improved.

He also said the time for political reconciliation with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had passed and urged the party to work with the federal government to tackle terrorism in the province.

Dar said both sides had made considerable efforts during negotiations with the PTI, but the talks failed to produce an agreement. He said the deal was due to be signed on the night the negotiations broke down, but the PTI side sought further consultations with the chief minister, who rejected the proposal.

“Political reconciliation is possible when things are on an equal footing,” he said, adding that the situation in the country, particularly in KP, had deteriorated significantly.

The deputy prime minister questioned how the provincial government had spent the funds allocated to KP under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award to help fight terrorism.

He said the province had received around Rs800 billion under the arrangement, which included an additional one per cent of the NFC share allocated to KP because of the security challenges arising from cross-border militancy.

“Ask them where the money was spent, what kind of Counter-Terrorism Department they have established and how much has been spent on law enforcement agencies,” Dar said, alleging that the funds had been included in the provincial budget but spent elsewhere.

He also claimed that KP had yet to establish a forensic laboratory, questioning the provincial government’s performance in addressing security challenges.

Referring to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s meeting with the prime minister and his efforts to facilitate dialogue, Dar said the federal government had conveyed four proposals to him for consideration by the cabinet.

According to Dar, the proposals included replacing the KP chief minister, condemning terrorism, joining hands with the federal government to combat militancy and imposing an emergency in specific districts.

He said the cabinet had questioned how long the federal government could continue waiting for a political settlement while security conditions deteriorated.

Dar also alleged that PTI had used provincial resources and infrastructure for political activities, asking the party to demonstrate that it had financed its activities from its own funds.

The deputy prime minister said the government had witnessed what he described as 13 years of deterioration in the province and could no longer afford to delay action against terrorism.