A fresh war of words erupted between the Center and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governments on Tuesday when former provincial information adviser Dr. Muhammad Ali Saif lashed out at Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry over his claim that the province had rejected bulletproof vehicles provided by the Centre. The exchange came a day after Chief Minister Sohail Afridi returned the bulletproof vehicles, describing them as "old and substandard". Barrister Saif reacted strongly to Chaudhry’s comments, saying the federal minister and his colleagues should "personally visit border regions in these vehicles to test their so-called quality".
"Talal Chaudhry and other federal ministers should stop commenting on terrorism from the comfort of their luxury rooms in Islamabad," he said. "Talal Chaudhry may be an expert in party organization, but he is certainly not capable of handling such a serious problem as terrorism."
He said the substandard vehicles sent to KP reflect the non-seriousness of the federal government in the fight against terrorism. "The association has always treated KP as a stepchild. It is wrong to think that terrorism is only KP’s problem. In reality, terrorism is a threat to the whole of Pakistan," he said. The former adviser said the people and security forces of KP had sacrificed immensely to contain terrorism and prevent it from spreading throughout the country.
"KP police and our people have stopped terrorism with their blood. Without the timely and decisive action of the provincial government, this fire would have engulfed the entire country," he claimed. Attorney-at-law Saif urged the center to "come to your senses" and extend practical support to KP. He added that the complete eradication of terrorism required the involvement of tribal elders and the cooperation of Afghanistan.
"All disputes with Afghanistan must be resolved through dialogue. The tensions between the two countries serve no one’s interest," he said. Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Talal Chaudhry defended the federal government’s decision, saying the vehicles supplied to the province were "state-of-the-art and in accordance with international standards".
"The federal government provided bulletproof vehicles worth Rs 100 million each to the KP police, but the provincial government rejected them for political reasons," Chaudhry told reporters in Islamabad. He said the same vehicles were used by federal ministers and senior security officials across Pakistan. "Wherever these cars have been deployed, there have been minimal losses," he remarked. The minister reiterated the government’s resolve to eliminate terrorism with public support, but warned that Pakistan could "can no longer afford the ruthlessness of the KP Chief Minister or the extremist politics of groups like the TLP."
Turning his criticism against Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Chaudhry accused the party of exploiting religious sentiments under false pretenses. He said TLP’s latest march "claimed to show solidarity with Palestine" but "failed to make a single demand in support of the Palestinian people".
