LAHORE: The Interior Minister of Pakistan, Mohsin Naqvi, has firmly stated that the government will take all necessary measures to prevent incidents similar to those that occurred on May 9. He emphasized that the government had engaged in negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in good faith, but alleged that an attempt to undermine the process was made by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to Radio Pakistan, Naqvi addressed a news conference in Lahore, highlighting that the opposition withdrew from its commitments after a draft agreement had been established. The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was accused of attempting to alter the finalized draft, raising concerns about the seriousness of the provincial government’s approach to counter-terrorism efforts.

Naqvi assured that the central government, led by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, remained informed of developments in real-time. He reiterated the government’s commitment to fostering unity among all stakeholders in combating terrorism and assured that there would be no tolerance for any attempts to disrupt public order.

The Interior Minister was resolute in stating that any recurrence of events akin to those of May 9 would not be permitted. He emphasized that the law would be strictly enforced and any loss of life or property damage during the ongoing long march would be treated as contempt of court. Naqvi underscored that accountability would be enforced, specifying that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister would bear responsibility if any lives were lost.