Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday delivered a resolute message against terrorism, pledging to utilise "every available resource" to dismantle militant strongholds across Pakistan, with a pointed focus on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), where relations between the federal government and provincial leadership continue to deteriorate.

The pledge came during an All Parties Conference (APC) organized by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP, ostensibly aimed at building political consensus on growing security threats. Instead, the conference laid bare the sharp divide between Islamabad and the PTI-led provincial administration over how to handle the insurgency.

In a moment that electrified the political arena, Naqvi leveled a thinly veiled accusation from the APC platform:

“How much monthly extortion is a key provincial official paying to the Taliban in Dera Ismail Khan?”

Though no names were mentioned, the reference was widely interpreted as a direct shot at KP's ruling PTI leadership. The charge insinuated not only indifference to terrorist activity but potential collusion, a serious claim that could carry deep political and legal ramifications.

Observers suggest that Naqvi's remarks have reframed the debate: from a tug-of-war over operational control to a crisis of credibility in KP's governance.

The interior minister's remarks came in response to recent statements by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who publicly refused to allow federal security interventions, including drone deployments, within the province. “No federal agency will be allowed to conduct unilateral operations in KP,” Gandapur had declared, also mocking Naqvi's credentials by saying:

“He may be good at managing cricket and building flyovers, but he has no authority over our province.”

Undeterred, Naqvi reaffirmed the federal government's commitment to confronting militancy head-on.“Wherever terrorists are hiding, they will be met with the full might of the state,” he stated.“Whether it involves drones or any other tool, this is about national survival, not political point-scoring.”

Security experts have warned against allowing political theatrics to undermine counter-terrorism efforts.“There can be no ambiguity in a war of this nature,” said a senior intelligence source.“You're either part of the solution, or you're in the way.”

With violence surging in the tribal districts and beyond, the federal government appears increasingly willing to override provincial resistance if required. This evolving standoff may soon test the constitutional limits of provincial autonomy, and the unity of Pakistan's internal security framework.

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