ISLAMABAD: The federal government will hand administrative control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa back to the provincial government after containing terrorism and establishing lasting peace, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has said.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Chaudhry said the government’s priority was to eliminate terrorism, restore security and promote development across the province. He said authorities planned to clear 12 terrorism-affected districts of militants and dismantle their safe havens.
The minister said the province had entered the third phase of the process for which the emergency and governor’s rule had been imposed. He added that the constitutional requirements for these measures had been fulfilled.
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Chaudhry said several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa still contained militant safe havens, making counterterrorism operations a priority. He said the government aimed to establish lasting peace before transferring administrative responsibilities back to the provincial government.
He added that the federal government had also developed a roadmap to address public grievances, overcome the province’s development challenges and accelerate public welfare projects.
According to the minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had assumed full control of the provincial government’s administrative powers. Chaudhry said the process would not involve political interference.
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The federal minister also said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had invited opposition leaders to hold negotiations, including through direct contact with the opposition leader.
Chaudhry said the government remained open to meaningful dialogue and would welcome opposition parties willing to engage in constructive discussions.
He reiterated that the federal government’s main objectives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were to eliminate terrorism, restore peace and accelerate development. He said administrative control would return to the provincial government once authorities had brought the security situation under control.
