ISLAMABAD: The State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry has said that the bulletproof vehicles made for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government is of international standard and criticized the provincial government for returning them as low quality.
In reply to KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s remarks, Talal Chaudhry informed that the federal government has so far contributed Rs. 60 billion to KP for the battle against terrorism, but there has not been a clear accounting of how this money has been spent.
He pointed out that even though the federal government made available vehicles for security and those bulletproof vehicles were returned due to quality issues, he disputed that, claiming the vehicles meet international standards and are usable in fighting terrorism.
Chaudhry remarked that where these vehicles were, the fatalities were few, and he accused the KP government of not giving its police force these resources. He asserted that the brave police officers and staff of KP are being sent to the enemy without protection due to a lack of support.
He further stated that the federal Interior Minister gave these vehicles as a gesture of acknowledging the bravery of the KP police, who are the first ones to face the terror. Theirs is dual purpose, to protect the troops and speed up the anti-terrorism efforts.
Describing the refusal of these vehicles as a sign of a lack of maturity, Chaudhry has remarked that such mindsets are detrimental to the people of KP. He also implied that the provincial government is not interested in the complete extermination of the terrorist threat.
Besides the vehicles, bulletproof jackets, binoculars, and weapons were also purchased to speed up the counter-terrorism operations, he further added.
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Talal Chaudhry concluded by saying that the federal government is determined to help out KP in the war against terrorism, but the provincial government’s immature attitude and political obstinacy are blocking these efforts.
