• Tallal Chaudhry denounces attempts to ‘politicise’ counter-terror operations
• Opposition MNAs demand inquiry, compensation for victims of Katlang incident
• Dar says decision on canals delayed, will only be taken with partners’ input

ISLAMABAD: As the government defended a recent security operation in Mardan’s Katlang area — which led to at least 11 casualties — on the floor of the National Assembly on Monday, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry did not dispute the claim that it was a ‘drone strike’, carried out by Pakistani security forces.

Although Pakistan’s government and military have never officially acknowledged the use of unmanned drones in anti-terror operations, a number of such attacks have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan over the past year.

The minister was responding to opposition criticism of the ‘drone strike’ when he insisted that the people who perished in the attack were militants — an assertion contested by the opposition, which claimed that civilians were slain in the action.

In response to a question, the minister informed lawmakers that the action was part of a broader intelligence-based campaign under the National Action Plan (NAP), adding that the strike was conducted in a remote, mountainous area with no civilian population to avoid collateral damage.

However, Mr Chaudhry did not contradict the opposition’s assertion that it was a drone strike.

As he spoke, the opposition lawmakers heckled him, calling him “a liar” and “ignorant”, which invited the ire of NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. Eventually, opposition lawmakers walked out in protest.

Reading out an official statement issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the minister said the counter-terrorism operation was carried out on March 29 based on credible intelligence.

“The area was being used by terrorists as a hideout and transit point,” he quoted the KP government’s statement as saying. According to the statement, several high-profile militants involved in terrorist activities in the region were neutralised, the minister said.

Mr Chaudhry slammed the politicisation of security operations, saying that national security should not be used for political gain. “It is unfortunate that matters of national interest, like counter-terrorism, are being turned into political controversies. We must rise above such attitudes,” he said.

He also questioned the effectiveness of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s counter-terrorism measures, despite “receiving over Rs800 billion” through the NFC Award. “Who is responsible for law and order after the 18th Amendment — the federation or the provinces?” he asked.

He noted that several districts in KP lack functional Counter-Terrorism Departments (CTDs), Safe City projects have not been implemented, and there was not even a forensic lab in the province.

“Even today, terrorism-related cases from KP are being sent to Punjab’s forensic lab, established during Shehbaz Sharif’s tenure,” he said.

The minister also alleged that the KP government had resettled militants who were previously expelled. “Now, they want to politicise the Katlang operation,” he said. The minister also called for a special session on the National Action Plan to review the performance of all provinces.

‘Not allowed to talk’

The issue was raised in the house by PTI lawmaker Saleemur Rehman, who regretted the “first drone attack by security forces on its own unarmed people”.

He lamented that instead of expressing sorrow over the incident, innocent people were branded as terrorists. PTI’s Mujahid Ali called for a judicial inquiry into the drone strike and a compensation package for the victims.

JUI-F leader Misbahuddin alleged reckless drone strikes were being carried out in North Waziristan. He said a matric student wounded during a strike on 26th Ramazan later succumbed to his injuries.

Addressing a press conference later, PTI leaders criticised the speaker, alleging that he did not allow them to talk about terrorism. Those who spoke on the premises of the Parliament House included Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and others. While terming the Katlang incident a national tragedy, Mr Ayub claimed that innocent people were martyred.

Barrister Gohar also criticised the wave of terrorism across the country and said that the party had always condemned terrorism. However, he said Mr Chaudhry was not suitable for the job. He said that the attitude of the government negatively will affect the fight against terrorism.

Canals controversy

During the session, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also attempted to placate Sindh’s concerns on the controversial canal project, saying any decision in this regard would be taken with the PPP’s input.

Mr Dar said the project was proposed in July but had been delayed at Sindh’s request for a thorough review. “I urged my colleagues not to make any decisions without full consultation. We are partners, not dictators, and we cannot impose decisions on such sensitive matters,” he said.

Mr Dar said that while the project was discussed again by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), it had not been approved as the government awaited consent from all stakeholders.

Earlier, senior PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf emphasised the need to urgently resolve water distribution issues. PPP MNA Shazia Marri also expressed concern over the water crisis, calling it a national issue that required serious dialogue.

PPP MNA from Shikarpur Shaharyar Khan Mahar questioned the logic of starting such a controversial project at a time when there was unrest in two provinces — Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He refuted the claim of Mr Dar that only a few people were raising objections to the project, stating that the entire province and even its government were protesting. He said they were not satisfied with the deputy PM’s response on the matter.

Net metering policy

Another highlight of the day’s proceedings was the criticism by PPP lawmakers regarding the net metering policy.

PPP’s Sharmila Faruqui, during the question hour, grilled the government over the “U-turn” on the net metering policy and disincentivising consumers using solar energy by a 63pc decrease in the buyback rate of electricity.

On one hand, the government claims to be committed to a clean energy transition, and on the other, it is discouraging the use of solar energy, she said.

The PPP lawmaker said over a quarter million consumers contribute 4,124 MW of electricity to the national grid, asking: “How does the government justify this reversal?”

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2025