Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will not be allowed to enter Islamabad under any circumstances on September 27, adding that the government rejects the politics of violence and clashes.

Speaking to the media at the Peshawar Press Club, Attaullah Tarar said there was no intention to impose governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that the province needed “people’s rule” rather than governor’s rule. He said the public had rejected the politics of violence and that people should not be put through hardships for the release of one prisoner.

The federal minister said PTI had been in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for a long time, but significant progress was not visible in education, health, tourism and other sectors. He said the provincial government should focus on public issues and governance instead of protests and rallies.

Attaullah Tarar said the people had not voted for the PTI provincial government to secure the release of any one prisoner. If the provincial government continued to focus on this objective, he said, the province could be pushed decades further behind.

He alleged that individuals favoured by the government had been given a free hand in matters involving deforestation and mining in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while public resources were being used for rallies and protests. He said public resources should be spent on the people rather than on political gatherings.

The federal minister said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were paying taxes but were not receiving the facilities that were the provincial government’s responsibility to provide. He also said the absence of the provincial leadership from the funerals of security personnel and civilians killed in terrorist attacks raised questions.

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Regarding NFC funds, Attaullah Tarar said KP ministers and advisers frequently referred to NFC funds but did not provide the public with the complete facts.

According to him, the federal government had provided Rs850 billion to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government under the NFC for the National Action Plan. He claimed, however, that the provincial government did not have a record of the funds.

He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also had to seek Punjab’s assistance in forensic matters, and urged the provincial government to focus on establishing its own forensic and other necessary laboratories.

Regarding negotiations, Attaullah Tarar said the PTI leadership talked about negotiations but it was unclear whom the federal government should engage with and who was responsible for making decisions. He said a single authorised representative needed to be designated for negotiations.

Referring to the Kohat incident, the federal minister said Afghan territory had been used in the attack and that a response had already been given. He said operations against terrorists would continue and no one would be allowed to disrupt law and order.

Attaullah Tarar said the decision not to allow PTI to enter Islamabad was aimed at maintaining law and order. He said people’s rights could not be affected and roads would not be allowed to remain blocked.

He said the Radio Pakistan building, which was set on fire by PTI workers on May 9, had been rebuilt and studios had also been established there. Journalists could use the studios to produce their podcasts, he added.

The federal information minister said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) believed in press freedom and that wherever journalists faced difficulties, the federal government would play its role in resolving their problems.