ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam has strongly criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, holding it responsible for abandoning its constitutional responsibilities and allowing governance and security to deteriorate, while stressing that the federal government is not currently in favour of imposing governor’s rule in the province.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Muqam said the federal government did not consider governor’s rule or an emergency in KP a politically desirable option, but stressed that the state could not allow the province to slide further into insecurity.
“We are not in favour of having governor’s rule or declaring an emergency in KP as politically it is not a good decision,” he said. “However, on one hand, you have politicians, and then there is the state. Politics can only continue if we still have control of the province.”
His remarks came as KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi led the PTI’s long march towards Islamabad, with the party insisting that it would not accept any policy it considered contrary to the interests of the people of the province.
The PTI proceeded with the march despite repeated warnings from the federal government that violent gatherings would not be permitted in the capital.
‘KP government has lost its writ’
Muqam stated that the provincial government had effectively lost its writ, while the security situation in KP was “deteriorating day by day”. He accused Chief Minister Afridi of neglecting the province and pursuing a political agenda instead of concentrating on governance and counterterrorism.
“The chief executive of the province has abandoned the province,” Muqam said. “There is no sign of the government in the province. The chief executive of the province stays busy on his one-point agenda.”
The minister maintained that terrorism was not an issue confined to KP and warned that a further deterioration of the security situation in the province would have consequences for the entire country.
“If KP is overtaken by terrorists, then the rest of Pakistan would not remain free either,” he warned. Muqam stressed that the federal and provincial governments, along with the armed forces, needed to work together against terrorism. “The provincial government, the federal government and the armed forces should be on the same page,” he said.
Talks collapse over march, counterterrorism
Turning to the failed negotiations between the government and opposition over the PTI march, Muqam praised members of the opposition delegation for initially showing a willingness to reach an understanding.
He recalled that during the first round of talks, the opposition had sought additional time because the KP chief minister needed to participate.
“The next day, we came back and sat from 3pm till 3am,” Muqam said, adding that three to four drafts had been prepared during the negotiations. “At one point, it was decided that we would issue a joint statement.”
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According to Muqam, the opposition delegation had initially assured the government of its cooperation, but the situation changed later on Saturday night. He said “interference” began after 9 pm, with messages arriving instructing negotiators to add or remove certain clauses. “In the end, we had a deadlock,” he said.
Calling the collapse of the negotiations “highly unfortunate”, Muqam questioned how the KP chief minister could continue making statements about the march while representatives nominated by him were simultaneously negotiating with the federal government.
‘Government work halted for months’
The federal minister further stated that government-related work in KP had remained largely paralysed for the past two to two and a half months. He again called for greater coordination between the federal and provincial administrations, particularly on security matters.
Muqam also questioned the PTI-led provincial government’s commitment to the National Action Plan (NAP), asking why only one meeting had been held during the entire year.
“Why have you held only one meeting in the entire year? How many martyrs have you visited?” he asked. He also criticised the provincial government for undermining the authority of the police. “In fact, you went against the police to try and rob them of their authority,” he said, referring to the KP Police Act, 2026.
PTI march will not be allowed into Islamabad
Muqam reiterated that the PTI march would not be allowed to enter Islamabad. “What is this drama of proceeding with the march when you know fully well that you will not be allowed to enter Punjab?” he asked.
The minister also questioned whether the KP government had adequately addressed the rights and security concerns of the people of the province while pursuing its political confrontation with the federal government.
“It is the state’s responsibility not to leave the people of KP at the mercy of terrorists,” Muqam said, adding that there was a constitutional mechanism available to provide relief to the people.
His remarks appeared to refer to the possibility of governor’s rule, although he reiterated that the federal government was not in favour of taking such a step at present.
Asked whether further negotiations with the opposition were possible, Muqam said the government’s door remained open. “The door to talks is still open. If it is for the betterment of the country, we are always ready to talk,” he said.
Government-opposition talks end without breakthrough
The latest confrontation follows two rounds of negotiations between the government and opposition over the weekend, which failed to produce an agreement. Counterterrorism policy in KP and access to Imran Khan emerged as two of the major sticking points.
PTI leader Salman Akram Raja, who participated in the opposition delegation, later said the principal reason for the failure of the talks was disagreement over anti-terrorism operations in KP.
Government weighs options amid security crisis
Following the failure of the negotiations, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held Chief Minister Afridi responsible for “sabotaging” the talks. He also met KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday to discuss the political and security situation in the province amid growing speculation about the possible imposition of governor’s rule.
Earlier, there were reports that the federal government was seriously considering imposing governor’s rule in KP. For now, Muqam has sought to draw a distinction between political confrontation and the state’s responsibility to maintain security, arguing that political activity cannot be allowed to compromise the government’s ability to protect citizens and maintain its writ.
The minister’s remarks also underscore the growing confrontation between the federal government and the PTI-led KP administration, as security and counterterrorism have increasingly become part of the broader political dispute.
