ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday called for “prompt action” to quell rising militant violence in Pakistan two days after a suicide explosion ripped through a crowded mosque at Peshawar’s police headquarters, killing more than a hundred people.

According to Pakistan’s interior minister Rana Sanaullah, 97 policemen lost their lives in the attack that also injured more than 200 worshippers during a prayer congregation held in the afternoon.

Militants have intensified attacks against security forces in Pakistan since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban and the state broke down in November last year. While a senior Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander claimed responsibility for the Peshawar blast, the group issued a statement soon after the incident wherein it distanced itself from the attack.

The prime minister focused on the reemergence of militancy during a federal cabinet meeting on Wednesday, saying it was vital to deal with the situation before it spread across the country.

“If we don’t take prompt action now, terrorism will spread to other provinces too, and God forbid, no one will remember our name in history if this menace is not controlled,” he said. “Right now, all other matters are subordinate to this burning issue. So, this is the only thing that we should be discussing today.”

Sharif maintained the rise in militancy had raised many questions about the resumption of violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province while calling it a “matter of concern” that needed introspection.

“We will not let this menace [spread across the country] and control it through our combined efforts,” he continued, “but it is a matter of concern for us and we have to introspect about how these [militant outfits] returned to KP.”

The prime minister informed that the northwestern province bordering Afghanistan had received substantial amount of money under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award since 2010 while denying claims by its previous administration of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party about lack of funds.

“From 2010 to 2023, KP received Rs417 billion, which amounts to Rs40 billion per year, under the NFC award because it was the right of the people of KP,” he said.

“All provinces came forward and provided KP with its rightful share,” he added. “So, the PTI complaining about not having enough budget for arms and ammunition, training of security personnel etc. is unbelievable. That’s just a sheer distortion of facts.”