Peshawar blast: PM Shehbaz questions spending of KP budget for counter-terrorism

ISLAMABAD: Following the suicide blast at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif asserted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) had been given Rs417 billion since 2010 to improve its counter-terrorism capability, questioning where the amount was spent, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Addressing a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister said that raised serious concerns over the resurgence of terrorist elements, especially in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

PM Shehbaz Sharif warned that if urgent measures were not taken to control terrorism, it could spread to the rest of the country. However, he questioned who brought the terrorists back in the country.

“Who regarded the terrorist as ‘Jihadi’ and let them return,” the prime minister said, pointing out the lenient approach that led to the re-emergence of terrorism in the province.

He also criticised the decision to enter into dialogue with militant and resettle them during the previous regime, asking: “Who said they have laid down their arms and will contribute to the country’s growth and development?”

PM Shehbaz alleged that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed to maintain security despite the availability of special funds. “They [PTI] was in rule in the province for the last 10 years and was responsible to ensure the safety of the lives of innocent people,” he said.

The prime minister mentioned that Rs 417 billion were provided to KP since the year 2010 under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. “The funding was supposed to be used for the capacity-building of KP Police and security forces”, he noted.

“Where this money was spent despite the establishment of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD),” he questioned. He said the nation wanted the ruling KP government to be held accountable for the rise of terrorism in the province.

PM Shehbaz also lauded the courage and resilience of the people of KP for bearing the brunt of terrorism. He said several members of the political families in KP and also the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto lost their life in the wake of terrorist incidents.

“These invaluable sacrifices cannot be forgotten,” he said, adding, it was painful that even minor children were among the dead in the recent suicide blast at a Peshawar mosque. He vowed to “unitedly” fight the scourge and ensure peace in the country.

The premier also put aside the routine agenda of the cabinet to solely discuss the issue of terrorism, saying that an in-camera session could be held for further deliberations.

The meeting came days after a powerful blast triggered by a suicide attack rocked a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines during the afternoon prayers.

According to the latest figures, at least 100 people have been confirmed to have lost their lives in the attack, while almost 169 people were wounded.

Security officials said the explosion took place around 1:40pm on Monday as Zuhr prayers were being offered as a result of which the roof of the mosque caved in. The rescue operation is still underway at the mosque site to retrieve the victims.

The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the blast at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines.