• JUI-F lawmaker slams govt ‘indifference’ towards situation in KP
• Minister rejects impression that any particular province is being neglected

ISLAMABAD: The treasury and opposition sparred in the Senate on Tuesday over the rising wave of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), with JUI-F Senator Attaur Rehman questioning whether the province had been “handed over to terrorists”.

Speaking in the upper house, the JUI-F lawmaker accused the government of indifference towards KP’s deteriorating security situation, saying its focus on legislation was “in no way more important than the lives of the people of KP”.

“Why has our blood turned white? Why is there no concern for KP?” Senator Rehman asked. “Blood is being spilled there and you are worried about your bills. Are these bills so important that human blood keeps flowing while you continue passing legislation?”

He referred to the recent attacks in Bannu and Lakki Marwat, and criticised the PTI government, saying the chief minister was “still out on tours”.

“Have some sense of our wounds. Why are the conditions in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa not being given importance?” he asked.

Responding to the criticism, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said every terrorist incident had been condemned in the house.

“I do not believe our hearts do not ache for these incidents,” he said, describing the attacks on police personnel in Bannu and Lakki Marwat as “cowardly”.

Tarlai blast

Dr Chaudhry said intelligence-based operations were under way and rejected the impression that any particular province was being neglected.

“This country will endure. Terrorists will be defeated,” he said, adding that an incident had also taken place in Raw­alpindi. He also questioned whether the suicide blast in Tarlai had occurred in KP.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said he had complete faith in Senator Rehman’s patriotism, but rejected any suggestion that KP was drifting away from the federation.

“KP and Balochistan are provinces of patriotic Pakistanis,” he said.

Terrorist training in Afghanistan

Mr Sanaullah claimed, “7,000 to 8,000 misguided people” were receiving terrorist training in Afghanistan with “funding from India and Israel” and were carrying out attacks in Pakistan.

He said there would be no compromise on Pakistan’s resolve to eliminate terrorism. He added that PM Shehbaz Sharif had made it clear that Afghanistan must choose between Pakistan and terrorism.

He added Pakistan would continue targeting terrorist training camps and sanctuaries in Afghanistan until the menace was eradicated.

Mr Sanaullah also urged the opposition not to link political differences with terrorist activities. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had repeatedly invited the opposition to the dialogue table to resolve political issues.

FIA off-loading procedures

Earlier, during Question Hour, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) carried out off-loading strictly in accordance with established procedures.

He explained that when discrepancies were identified in a passenger’s travel documents or profile during initial screening, the case was referred for further scrutiny.

The minister informed the House that the FIA had prominently displayed information regarding passengers’ rights, complaint mechanisms and appeal procedures at immigration counters in both Urdu and English, and had also disseminated the information through public awareness campaigns.

He also rejected reports regarding the deportation of Pakistani citizens from any country, particularly the United Arab Emirates.

Naat tradition

Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday formally began the tradition of reciting Naat-i-Rasool (PBUH) immediately after the recitation from the Holy Quran at the beginning of each sitting, following a unanimous decision of the House.

The move had been approved a day earlier during a sitting chaired by Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani. Members across the House described the decision as “extremely welcoming”, and implementation began with Tuesday’s session.

This marks the first time in the upper house’s parliamentary history that Naat recitation will become a regular part of proceedings.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2026