Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has stated that his government will not grant permission for military operations in the province, prompting immediate criticism from Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who described the CM's attitude as a "compulsion."
"As a chief minister, I announce that we will not allow any operation in this province," CM Gandapur stated while addressing an Aman Jirga gathering in Bannu on Friday.
"We will not shy away from shedding our blood for our country but will make our decisions on our own," he said.
The development came a day after CM Gandapur presided over a meeting of the apex committee, aiming to reassure delegates of the Bannu Aman Jirga, who wanted more police presence in the province, among various other demands.
The province's top security body met to discuss terrorism and the Bannu incident, in which at least four people were killed and several others were injured after a protest organized by traders in response to deteriorating law and order conditions escalated and became unpleasant.
The act sparked a significant uproar in Bannu, prompting Chief Minister Gandapur to visit the region and try to calm the people.
In his speech today, CM Gandapur stated that the "slaves of the US" imposed incorrect decisions on the country and that the people of the province incurred significant losses as a result of previous incorrect decisions.
CM Gandapur underlined the provincial government's stance against terrorism, stating that no armed organization would be tolerated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He emphasized that the police would take action wherever they suspected the presence of criminals.
"Any highhandedness, if committed in the province, will be perceived as being against me," he added.
In response to Gandapur's remarks, Federal Information Minister Tarar stated that the chief minister was required to make such statements since he was accountable "to a man [Imran Khan] imprisoned in the Adiala Jail."