ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal government had no objection to a planned sit-in by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), but warned that worsening militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was its primary concern, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said during a news conference in Islamabad on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.
He said the government had spent weeks trying to reach an agreement with provincial leaders and opposition representatives before deciding to impose emergency measures.
Mohsin Naqvi spoke alongside Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and other government officials. The ministers defended the government’s decision, citing security threats and unsuccessful negotiations with opposition leaders.
Mohsin Naqvi said federal officials had spent about a month attempting to reach an understanding with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government while preparations for the opposition’s long march continued.
He said he had maintained private communication with provincial officials throughout the discussions. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was scheduled to travel to New York, and officials had planned a meeting with opposition representatives before his departure, Naqvi said.
The government also proposed establishing a committee, with a meeting tentatively planned for Oct. 15 or 16. However, Naqvi said the opposition did not respond to the proposal.
He added that communication continued through other channels, including a meeting between the president and the prime minister. Naqvi said he had also asked the president to help secure the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s cooperation.
According to the interior minister, negotiators revised the draft agreement four times in subsequent discussions. Although officials appeared close to finalizing the arrangements, another version of the document was subsequently introduced, complicating the process.
Mohsin Naqvi said he remained in contact with PTI leaders until the night before the news conference. He said the proposed agreement included a provision related to the sit-in, but opposition representatives did not provide a response.
During his final conversation with them, Naqvi said he made it clear that an agreement was still possible. However, he said the discussion ended without a response from the PTI representatives.
He also referred to a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Naqvi rejected the suggestion that the federal government had demanded the cancellation of the protest.
He said officials had consistently emphasized that their concern was security rather than the opposition’s right to demonstrate. The interior minister also said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), rather than the federal government, had proposed postponing the sit-in.
He maintained that the government remained willing to accommodate the protest, provided that counterterrorism efforts received the necessary attention.
Mohsin Naqvi described the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as increasingly dangerous, saying residents in some districts were afraid to leave their homes after sunset.
He also referred to the killing of an Election Commission official the previous night, highlighting the risks facing public officials in the region.
Furthermore, he said he had held several discussions with provincial Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, with militant violence and security arrangements serving as major topics.
He said the federal government had proposed a plan to improve police capabilities in districts facing serious security threats. According to Naqvi, Afridi raised concerns about insufficient funding, prompting assurances that the federal government would provide financial assistance.
The interior minister further claimed that provincial representatives had agreed during negotiations that emergency measures were necessary in the affected districts.
Mohsin Naqvi said gaining public support for counterterrorism operations had also proved difficult. He alleged that some officials were hesitant to appear in photographs with federal representatives and allow those images to be published. He denied asking provincial officials to take photographs with him and make such images public.
Mohsin Naqvi argued that the fight against terrorism could not succeed without cooperation between federal and provincial authorities. He criticized what he described as a lack of provincial ownership of the security campaign while federal security personnel continued to lose their lives.
The minister said 518 police officers had been killed in terrorist violence over the previous 18 months. He described the decision to introduce emergency measures as difficult but necessary, adding that the government had tried to avoid taking such action through negotiations.
He said a positive response from opposition representatives during their final discussions could have changed the outcome. He called on provincial leaders to clarify who had prevented the negotiations from producing an agreement.
The interior minister concluded that the federal government had exhausted its alternatives and had decided to impose Governor’s Rule in response to the security crisis.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the president had invoked Articles 232 and 234 of Pakistan’s Constitution in connection with the emergency declaration.
The announcement places renewed attention on the relationship between the federal government and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration, as authorities confront continuing security threats and political disagreements over how to respond.
