Addressing a federal cabinet meeting, the prime minister said the situation had reached a critical point and called for decisive action against terrorism.
“The water has crossed the limit; it is now time to make a decision,” Shehbaz Sharif said, stressing that the growing security challenges required a serious response.
The prime minister said civilians had been facing terrorist attacks for the past two years, while Pakistan’s armed forces were conducting continuous operations against militants and eliminating them.
He alleged that the KP government had remained a silent spectator instead of taking effective measures to dismantle terrorist networks operating in the province.
Shehbaz Sharif further claimed that the federal government had transferred Rs800 billion to the KP government over the past decade to support counterterrorism efforts. However, he alleged that the provincial administration had failed to strengthen its Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) adequately.
According to the prime minister, the KP government had neither effectively coordinated with the federal administration to combat terrorism nor openly condemned terrorist groups.
He emphasised that counterterrorism required coordinated efforts between federal and provincial authorities, particularly as security personnel continued operations against militant networks.
Referring to Afghanistan, Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan had repeatedly communicated its concerns regarding cross-border terrorism, but the messages had not received the desired response.
The prime minister also raised concerns over what he described as plans to march towards Islamabad with hostile intentions. He alleged that the move was aimed at pushing the country towards instability and reversing the progress achieved by Pakistan.
Shehbaz Sharif warned that the government would not allow any attempt to undermine national stability and said the law would be enforced under all circumstances.
His remarks come amid heightened political tensions between the federal government and the KP administration, alongside continuing security concerns in the province.
The criticism is likely to intensify debate over responsibility for counterterrorism policies, the strengthening of provincial security institutions and coordination between Islamabad and Peshawar.
The federal government has maintained that combating terrorism requires firm action, effective intelligence-sharing and cooperation among all relevant institutions to protect civilians and security personnel.
