ISLAMABAD: The federal government has postponed its decision to impose an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), giving the provincial government another opportunity to cooperate with the Centre in efforts to combat terrorism, according to government sources.
The decision was taken during a high-level federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where participants expressed serious concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the province.
According to sources, cabinet members criticised what they described as the KP government’s lack of engagement in counterterrorism efforts. The meeting discussed making a final attempt to secure provincial cooperation through Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman before taking any further action.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister of State Talal Chaudhry and other federal ministers attended the meeting.
The cabinet reviewed rising terrorist attacks, security challenges and the province’s administrative situation. Security assessments prepared by provincial police and intelligence agencies were also presented to the prime minister and cabinet members.
Terrorist Incidents Rise by 195pc
Two security reports presented at the meeting revealed a 195 per cent increase in terrorist incidents in KP between March 1, 2024, and September 23, 2026.
The reports attributed the worsening situation to several factors, including militants operating from Afghanistan, local facilitators and what the assessments described as weaknesses in provincial policies and a lenient approach towards militants. They also highlighted shortcomings in provincial preparedness and counterterrorism measures.
According to the reports, police and security personnel were targeted in 73 per cent of terrorist attacks recorded in 2026.
The assessments also pointed to a sharp increase in the use of drones by militants.
While no drone attacks targeting police and security forces were reported in 2024, the number rose to 170 in 2026, with the reports citing an approximately 107 per cent year-on-year increase.
The threat posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) also remained significant. A total of 181 such attacks were recorded in 2025, while 159 incidents had been reported by September 2026.
Police and CTD Face Critical Resource Shortages
The security reports highlighted substantial operational challenges facing the KP police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), including more than 9,000 vacant police positions.
The reports also identified shortages of modern weapons, essential operational equipment and tools required for surveillance and intelligence gathering.
Inadequate access to night-vision and thermal-imaging equipment was cited as another major obstacle affecting the operational capabilities of provincial law enforcement agencies.
The federal government has deferred an immediate decision on imposing an emergency, with the provincial government being given another opportunity to cooperate with the Centre on counterterrorism efforts.
