KP effectively under governor’s rule, says Barrister Gohar
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has opposed the imposition of an emergency or governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying the province is effectively under governor’s rule and only a formal announcement remains.
Speaking to the media after meeting Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and attending a meeting of the party’s senior leadership at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, Gohar said federal government interference had weakened the authority of the provincial government.
He said all stakeholders agreed on the need to eliminate terrorism but differed over how to achieve that objective. The differences could have been resolved through dialogue, he added.
“Governor’s rule or an emergency is not the solution to terrorism,” Gohar said, warning that such measures could harm both the province and the federation and further aggravate the situation.
He called for a meeting of either the federal or provincial apex committee to discuss the situation and formulate a response.
Counterterrorism operations should be conducted under the National Action Plan, with all political parties taken into confidence, he said, adding that public support was essential for the success of such measures.
Gohar described the current political situation as a matter of concern for all parties.
He alleged that the federal government was interfering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because the PTI held the province’s political mandate, while similar intervention was not taking place in other provinces.
He urged the country’s political leadership to abandon confrontation and demonstrate political wisdom, warning that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could not afford further experiments.
The PTI chairman also claimed that nine members of the provincial assembly, including three ministers, and eight members of the National Assembly had been picked up or were missing. The claims were not independently verified.
Expressing concern over the detention of former prime minister Imran Khan’s sisters and cousin, Gohar called for the immediate restoration of meetings with the PTI founder, saying the restrictions had remained in place for a year.
He said restoring meetings with Imran Khan could help improve the situation.
Gohar added that the PTI long march had been organised to press six demands, which he described as constitutional and legal.
The PTI senior leadership meeting, chaired by CM Afridi at the Chief Minister’s House, discussed the country’s political situation and matters relating to the ongoing long march.