PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday called on the federal government to “do its duty” in maintaining law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid the deteriorating security situation.

Addressing a rally in Charsadda, Imran said: “Law and order has deteriorated in Malakand. The KP police are trying their best, but the federal government should take charge and carry out its duty instead of only trying to somehow make me a terrorist or register cases [against me].”

He said the people of KP had made a lot of sacrifices and it was the government’s responsibility to address the worsening law and order, especially in the tribal districts.

There has been a surge of targeted killings and extortion in KP, particularly in Malakand division.

As the law and order situation deteriorates amid reports of the presence of militants, hundreds of people, including elders and students, have taken to the streets in Swat and Shangla recently to protest against the new wave of terrorism.

On Thursday, residents of Swat held a rally, demanding police move against the militants and warning that they would hold a sit-in at Grassy Ground and would not leave it until the operation was launched against them.

On Tuesday, eight people were killed when a remote-controlled bomb struck their vehicle in the Ghlo Kandaw area of Kabal Tehsil in Swat valley.

Former peace committee head Idrees Khan, two police guards Ramail and Tauheed, and a child were on their way from Kotakay to Bandai village when the bomb, planted on a dirt road, went off, leaving the four people dead on the spot. Two pedestrians were also killed in the blast. Two more corpses were found later.

The attack was claimed by the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan which stated that Idrees had been on their hit list for nearly 13 years.

‘Day not far when I sound the call’

The rest of the former prime minister’s address was about his demand for early elections. Addressing the charged crowd, he said the “time is not far” when he would give a call for one purpose: that “fair and free” elections be held.

He said there was no other solution to the country’s current issues other than fresh elections that would bring political stability and subsequently, economic stability.

“I am preparing all of you then when I give you the call, you have to set out with me for real freedom.”

Imran claimed the entire nation was saying with one voice that the current “imported government is unacceptable”.

The PTI chief said he had a message for the government and “those standing behind it”, that the nation would not forget and God would not forgive those who were responsible for removing the PTI’s “good functioning government”.

Imran told the government that if it thought it could use cases against the PTI or try to silence the media then “no matter what you do, you can’t win this match. You’ve lost.”

He added that the economy would only continue declining the longer that new elections were not held.