Govt rules out KP military operation

• No new offensive on the cards, but Talal Chaudhry says actions under National Action Plan to continue, despite PTI objections
• Asad Qaiser demands transparent trial of Imran; Marwat seeks inquiry into ‘attack on parliament’
• Commerce ministry says $1 billion saved after US tariff reduced from 29 to 19pc

ISLAMABAD: As the PTI vigorously opposed any potential military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following a spike in terror incidents, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Thursday said action against militants under the National Action Plan would continue, despite their objections.

The minister was responding to PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser in the lower house of parliament as the latter vowed to oppose any offensive in the PTI-ruled province to eradicate militancy.

Mr Qaiser warned against such attempts, saying they would put up resistance against such plans. His statement is consistent with PTI founder Imran Khan’s stance, who had asked the KP government to oppose such measures, as well as that of the tribal people who have expressed apprehensions against new military offensives.

In response, the minister ruled out a new operation but said measures under NAP would continue, adding that nobody can stop such measures.

Mr Chaudhry also urged the provincial authorities to fulfil their responsibilities to tackle the menace, saying Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received Rs700 billion under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award for counter-terrorism measures.

He, however, rued that the province had done nothing to improve the capacity of law enforcement agencies.

“I know why you are disturbed,” he said while addressing Mr Qaiser. Chiding the PTI leadership for alleged resettlement of the TTP terrorists in Pakistan, he asked if they were with the militants or the state.

It may be noted that after initial action, a potential military operation had been postponed in Bajaur following successful talks between the Bajaur Aman Jirga and the banned TTP.

About the claims of Imran Khan being the most popular leader, he said popularity did not prove innocence, adding that monuments honouring martyrs had been desecrated during the May 9 violence in 2023.

Crackdown on PTI

Earlier, PTI leader Asad Qaiser also demanded a transparent and independent trial of Imran Khan. “We are referring to an ‘independent trial’ of cases against Imran Khan when we talk about his release”, he clarified.

He said that the PTI leadership had been struggling for the country’s sovereignty and fighting for the supremacy of the Constitution and law. He recalled that the PTI parliamentarians were whisked away from the Parliament House by unidentified men and now they were being disqualified on the pretext of the May 9 violence.

The opposition leader said the National Assembly had been turned into a rubber stamp, adding that he would ask his party members to boycott the proceedings of the house for being “unlawful”. He regretted that the gates of the house were closed for the PTI parliamentarians and a BPS-18 or BPS-19 officer humiliated them.

Disgruntled PTI member Sher Afzal Marwat questioned whether the PML-N and the PPP had signed the Charter of Democracy to misbehave with the leaders and parliamentarians of other political parties.

“Such an attitude is creating hatred in the political culture,” he said, adding that he would always remember the personnel of agencies and police standing outside the assembly. “I shall never tolerate these people outside the Assembly if I am given the authority of the speaker even for a day,” he remarked.

He demanded the constitution of a committee of the house for an inquiry into what he termed an “attack on Parliament House”. Mr Marwat was among several PTI lawmakers who had been picked up from the premises of parliament in a late-night raid in September last year.

US tariff

Earlier, during Question Hour, the house was told that the recent trade deal signed with the United States would boost Pakistan’s exports and positively impact the economy.

Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani said that the 19pc tariff rate offered to Pakistan was the lowest in the South Asian region.

Separately, the commerce ministry, in a written response, informed the house that the change in the US tariff from 29pc to 19pc saved Pakistan at least $1 billion.

“…instead of one billion dollars loss, Pakistan’s exports have the potential to increase share in the US market especially in textiles. The new tariff rates on Pakistan and other comparative economies will be instrumental in enhancing Pakistani goods penetration in the highly competitive US market,” the response attributed to Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said.

Lifesaving drugs

Responding to a calling attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services Nelson Azeem said that there was no shortage of lifesaving medicines, including insulin and cancer drugs. He admitted there was a shortage in May during tensions with India.

PPP’s Sharmila Farooqui, who raised the matter, however, noted that the parliamentary secretary was unaware of ground realities and insisted that there was an intermittent shortage in both urban and rural areas.

She regretted that about 100 key positions in the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan were vacant, affecting the performance of the authority responsible for controlling the prices and ensuring the availability of drugs.

She said, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the prices of these lifesaving drugs had been increasing by 17.5 per cent every year. According to the June price index, the prices went up by 13 and 15 per cent in urban and rural areas, respectively, she added.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2025

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