Interior Minister Warns Against KP Long March Amid Rising Security Concerns

• Mohsin Naqvi urged political leaders to reconsider plans for a long march as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faces renewed militant attacks.
• He questioned the absence of KP government representatives from the funerals of security personnel killed in the line of duty.
• The minister said any march towards Islamabad would be handled strictly in accordance with existing court orders.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday expressed serious concern over the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and urged political leaders to abandon plans for a long march, warning that such action could deepen difficulties for the country and its people.

Addressing a press conference, Naqvi said the province had suffered several deadly attacks during the past 10 days, including a suicide bombing at a mosque and two to three other incidents. He added that a Pakistan Army captain, soldiers and police personnel had embraced martyrdom in the attacks.

The interior minister said he had attended the funerals of fallen personnel in Peshawar at around 1:00 a.m. the previous night. He expressed disappointment over the absence of KP government representatives and provincial ministers from the funeral prayers.

Naqvi stressed that the fallen personnel did not belong to any political party but were martyrs of Pakistan. He questioned why members of the provincial leadership had failed to attend their funerals despite the sacrifices made by the security forces and police.

He said it was concerning that preparations for a march towards Islamabad were continuing while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing serious security threats and mourning the deaths of its personnel.

According to Naqvi, a long march would achieve no meaningful objective and would instead damage the national economy, create problems for its organisers and cause hardship for ordinary citizens.

He said the federal government had repeatedly communicated its position to the relevant political leadership during meetings in Islamabad. Political leaders had been informed several times that protest activities of this nature would not help them achieve their objectives, he added.

The minister said there was still time for the leadership to review its strategy and avoid placing itself and its supporters in a situation with no constructive way forward.

Naqvi warned that if the long march proceeded, the government would respond in line with the discussions already held on the matter. He said there would be no gaps or weaknesses in the implementation of the government’s decisions.

While observing that most members of the concerned party’s leadership appeared unwilling to pursue the march, he said the authorities were prepared to act if it went ahead under any circumstances.

The interior minister noted that the Islamabad High Court had already issued directions regarding the proposed protest. He said the government was responsible for implementing those orders in letter and spirit and would fulfil that duty without any shortcomings.