PESHAWAR: The opposition lawmakers on Friday blasted the government over the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in the merged areas, and accused the security agencies of failing to prevent the infiltration of terrorists from the border.

They were speaking during a session of the assembly chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.

Leader of the Opposition Dr Ibadullah in his address said law and order was the most important issue in the province and everyone was facing its consequences. He said there was lack of unity to tackle the menace of terrorism effectively.

He said that public would only support the law enforcement agencies once the ‘good and bad’ Taliban distinction was done away with. “Enough is enough. I want to tell the institutions to end the good and bad Taliban concept,” he said, adding insurgency could only be rooted out with people’s support.

Accuses security agencies of ‘failing’ to prevent infiltration of terrorists from border

Mr Ibadullah said that not for once any real issue was ever taken up in the KP Assembly. He said the lawmakers themselves gave space to someone else just because of lack of seriousness.

He suggested a committee be formed and empowered to travel to Bajaur and sit with them [the militants] to find a negotiated settlement of the militancy.

PPP’s Ahmad Karim Kundi accused the provincial government of dual policy. “They (the government) convinced people that there will be no military operation in Bajaur, but met with the military officials, who they often speak against, in the dark, allowing them to do so,” he said.

He accused PTI of running a movement to get former ISI chief Gen Faiz Hameed released.

“There should be a charter of peace among all the political parties since this is need of the hour,” Mr Kundi suggested.

Minister for higher education Mina Khan Afridi said the federal government should fulfill its promises made with people of the merged districts and give them the promised share in development funds.

Mr Afridi questioned if the eastern border could be secured, why not the western border. “This assembly should decide to immediately withdraw Action-in-Aid of Civil Power Regulations 2011,” he said, adding that peace jirgas of the merged districts would begin today [August 2].

Treasury MPA Ajmal Khan from Bajaur district said Pakhtuns were confronted with worse law and order situation. “Talks must be held with Afghanistan for lasting peace in the region,” he said. He blasted the federal government and the institutions for keeping PTI founder Imran Khan in prison.

JUI-F’s Maulana Lutfur Rehman said it was really sad to say that a blame game was going on regarding the military operation in Bajaur. “How is it possible that a military operation is launched without approval from the provincial government,” he said, adding if the operation was launched without the permission of the provincial government then the latter should resign.

ANP’s Mohammad Nisar Baaz said law and order was an issue of the entire nation. He said Maulana Khan Zeb was martyred in broad daylight in a commercial area near the compound of the Frontier Corps in Bajaur.

He said CCTV cameras had recorded the footage of the crime, but alleged that the security forces took the record away.

“The state launched an unannounced operation in Mamund tehsil of Bajaur, and 12 innocent persons, mostly children, were martyred,” he said, adding local elders were constantly holding jirgas and requested the security forces to stop the operation.

MPA Shafiullah Jan questioned why the military failed to stop infiltration of terrorists at the border. He accused the establishment of utilising all its energies against Imran Khan.

The KP Assembly also passed a unanimous resolution supporting the just freedom struggle of people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution was moved by MPA Sharafat Ali from the treasury benches.

Also, the house through another resolution demanded immediate arrest of the killers of ANP leader Maulana Khan Zeb. The sitting was later adjourned for August 7.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2025