DRAFT — for review (not published)
- Suggested slug: sharjeel-memon-pti-lost-government-militant-stance
- Category: National
- Focus keyphrase: Sharjeel Memon PTI government lost
- SEO title: Sharjeel: PTI Lost Govt Over Soft Stance on Militants
- Meta description: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon accused the PTI of losing its Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government through a soft stance on militants and a politics of confrontation.
- Tags: Sharjeel Inam Memon, PTI, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, governor’s rule, Fazlur Rehman, JUI-F, PPP, terrorism
- Original element: explainer context — Sharjeel’s statement lands in the middle of the ongoing federal ministers versus JUI-F chief row over the K-P emergency, which our desk is covering as its own story (linked below), making the cross-party pile-on the news value beyond a single-party press release
- Source: Express Tribune (“PTI leadership responsible for losing govt: Sharjeel”, https://tribune.com.pk/story/2635465/pti-leadership-responsible-for-losing-govt-sharjeel, published 18 Oct 2026, 10:37am PKT)
- Story date: 18 October 2026
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Sharjeel Memon: PTI Lost Its Government Over Soft Stance on Militants
Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of losing its government because of a soft stance towards militants.
“While innocent people continued to lose their lives and young men embraced martyrdom, the PTI founder kept talking about allowing terrorist groups to reopen their offices,” Memon said in a statement on Sunday.
‘Hostage to confrontation’
Sharjeel said the PTI had no one but itself to blame for the political crisis facing its government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Instead of serving and protecting the people, he alleged, the party had held the province hostage to its politics of confrontation and was now facing the consequences of its own decisions.
He said the PPP believed in democracy and strengthening democratic institutions and had never pursued politics merely to gain power.
Words for Fazlur Rehman
Referring to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Sharjeel expressed disappointment over what he described as the veteran politician’s discouraging statements. He noted that Fazlur Rehman had personally faced the horrors of terrorism and that his party had also suffered losses at the hands of militants.
He expressed hope that Fazlur Rehman would adopt an unequivocal stance against terrorism and stand in solidarity with the families of security personnel killed in the line of duty and the innocent victims of terrorist violence.
National security above politics
Sharjeel described the officers and soldiers of Pakistan’s armed forces as a source of pride for the entire nation. He said they remained vigilant to protect the lives, security and future of children, young people and elderly citizens, continuing to sacrifice their lives in the fight against terrorism.
He stressed that political interests must never be placed above national security.
Where this fits
Sharjeel’s statement adds a PPP voice to the chorus of federal leaders criticising the PTI over the K-P emergency — and it pointedly draws Fazlur Rehman into the debate just as the JUI-F chief is trading barbs with federal ministers, a row our desk is covering separately in ministers hit out at Fazl over K-P remarks, Fazl hits back.
The broader thread — the joint session’s endorsement of the K-P emergency and the PHC challenge to it — shows the Centre’s case being built across party lines.
Frequently asked questions
What did Sharjeel Memon say about the PTI?
He accused the PTI of losing its K-P government because of a soft stance towards militants and a politics of confrontation.
What did he say about Fazlur Rehman?
He expressed disappointment at the JUI-F chief’s statements, urged him to take an unequivocal stance against terrorism, and recalled that Fazl himself had faced terrorism’s horrors.
