ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif said government can consider imposing a state of emergency in KP, Balochistan and other regions where the security situation is rapidly deteriorating amid fresh wave of terrorism.
The minister’s statement shows the government’s growing concern over escalating violence in these provinces as dozens killed in recent attacks in two regions neighboring Afghanistan.
In his recent interview on a local news channel, Khawaja said state of emergency is possible in areas where the situation is more critical, but he refrained from going into details.
The attacks, primarily attributed to TTP, BLA have raised alarms about the capacity of local law enforcement agencies to control the situation. The federal government is closely monitoring the developments and is considering all options, including a state of emergency, to restore order and ensure the safety of citizens in these troubled areas.
With security forces increasingly stretched thin and the situation continuing to escalate, the government’s decision on whether to impose a security emergency could have significant implications for the affected provinces. The potential measures may involve increased military presence, curfews, and heightened surveillance in an effort to quell the ongoing violence.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq called for an in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) on March 18, 2025, following a surge in terrorist incidents, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The session, set for 1:30 PM, will include a briefing from military leadership on the current security situation. The meeting comes after the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) attacked the Jaffar Express, resulting in 26 deaths.
KP and Balochistan have seen over 96% of terrorist-related deaths in 2024. The rise in terror attacks has been linked to the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, with a significant increase in incidents in early 2025.
Operation Jaffar Express successfully completed, all 33 militants eliminated: DG ISPR
