Pakistan Government Calls for National Consensus Against Terrorism

The Government of Pakistan has called on all political parties to set aside differences and forge a national consensus on a joint strategy to combat terrorism. Special Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah and Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is ready to hold immediate consultations with all parties to establish a united front.

This appeal follows the federal government's imposition of emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11. The government justifies the move by alleging the provincial administration failed to cooperate in security efforts and that previous negotiations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf collapsed over the party's refusal to support counterterrorism operations. Sanaullah further accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of using social media to target state institutions and disowning negotiation drafts due to online pressure.

Opposition members challenged these motives in the Senate. Senators Mashal Azam and Falak Naz Chitrali suggested the emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was intended to facilitate mineral extraction by international organizations rather than to improve security. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has attributed the political deadlock to the government's refusal to grant access to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. The federal government contrasted the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Balochistan, which it claims is fully supporting federal security operations.