Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi told him he could not support the fight against terrorism because of the political cost. The latest on Mohsin Naqvi Sohail Afridi comes from Naqvi's address to a joint sitting of Parliament, where he made the claim. The material available does not include a reply from Afridi, so the account below reflects the interior minister's version only.
What Naqvi told Parliament
Naqvi said dozens of terrorism incidents had taken place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that the federal government had made repeated efforts to engage the provincial government. He said an Apex Committee meeting, a high-level security forum, was held in Peshawar in February, and that the federal side had struggled to get it convened. According to him, the meeting was meant to signal that terrorism would be fought collectively, and he urged lawmakers to read the press release issued afterwards.
Naqvi also said security personnel were killed on the day of that meeting. He said he asked the chief minister to attend their funeral prayers and went with him, and he described that as the last time Afridi had attended such prayers for a slain security person.
Allegations about the chief minister's conduct
Naqvi said the federal government had asked Afridi to lead the fight against terrorism in the province, and that Afridi was unwilling to do so. He alleged that after security personnel were killed, Afridi would make speeches against state institutions in the same district the following day. He also said Afridi had never accompanied the military on an operation, and that the chief minister had told him he could not bear the political consequences of doing so.
Naqvi referred to a television programme in which the host repeatedly asked a guest, Shafi Jan, to condemn terrorists. He said Shafi Jan did not agree to condemn them, even when two or three named individuals were mentioned.
On measures, Naqvi said a plan had been prepared to empower police in five districts of the province. Pointing to the imposition of Governor's Rule and an emergency in the province, he said, “The people sitting in KP forced us to take these steps.” Governor's Rule is a form of direct control from the centre, exercised through the provincial governor. He also claimed the government had accepted all of the demands of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) during negotiations and was willing to provide everything the party sought.
What happens next
The material does not say whether Afridi or his office will respond, or whether the five-district police plan will move ahead. It also does not show whether the Apex Committee press release supports Naqvi's account, since he only urged lawmakers to read it. The Mohsin Naqvi Sohail Afridi exchange is therefore best followed through official statements as they are issued.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi ne Parliament mein kaha ke KP ke chief minister Sohail Afridi ne siyasi nuqsan ke darr se dehshatgardi ke khilaf jang mein saath dene se inkar kiya. Yeh Naqvi ka daawa hai, aur is mein Afridi ka jawab shamil nahi. Aam shehri ke liye abhi qeemat, bijli ya safar mein koi faori tabdeeli ka zikr nahi, lekin siyasi tanaza barhta dikhai de raha hai. Aage ki kisi bhi official baat ko dekhna zaroori hoga.
