LAHORE: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday that a certain political party chief was “deeply upset” because he was kept out of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governorship and the governor’s rule setup. The remarks add fuel to the growing debate over KP governor’s rule, which has divided the political class since it was imposed.
Speaking informally to journalists in Lahore, Naqvi did not name the politician. He claimed, however, that the leader had depended on the establishment’s backing for decades to stay relevant in politics.
“Such was his situation that even the air tickets for his political party were arranged by the establishment,” the interior minister claimed.
What Changed Under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Emergency
The province moved to a new administrative arrangement last Sunday, when President Asif Ali Zardari imposed an emergency and governor’s rule. The step effectively pushed the PTI-led provincial government aside.
The president signed the summary on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. The decision followed recommendations from the federal cabinet and reports on the province’s law-and-order situation.
Under the new arrangement, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi will run the provincial government’s functions on behalf of the federation for as long as the emergency lasts. He will be assisted by an 11-member advisory council, while Parliament will exercise the powers of the provincial assembly.
Naqvi on Politics, Resources and Security
Naqvi said it did not suit such politicians to point fingers at others now. Political differences, he added, should be expressed through arguments and facts, not “indecent language and accusations”.
He also questioned leaders who have recently voiced concern about resources for the former FATA districts. “Some political leaders are very concerned today about the resources of the former FATA districts. When these districts were not receiving their due share for several years, why were these people silent?” he asked.
The interior minister wondered why those leaders had not raised their voices for the people of the former FATA at the time. The rights and resources of those residents, he stressed, should stay above political interests.
On security, Naqvi said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing serious challenges. He urged political leaders to help restore peace and end terrorism instead of “fuelling the fire and spreading unrest”.
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needs peace, stability and collective efforts, not political confrontation,” he said.
Khawaja Asif: Opponents Wanted a Place in the New Setup
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif made a similar argument. He said those opposing the move had wanted a role in the new arrangement and did not get one.
“Those who did not get a role in the new setup are now making such statements and harming the province,” Asif said on a private TV channel.
Looking back to the Pervez Musharraf era, he noted that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was the opposition leader at the time, while the MMA was in government. “At the time, the PPP and PML-N wanted the opposition leadership, but we did not get it,” he said.
Asif added that Fazl had also been an ally of the government during its one-year tenure around two-and-a-half years ago.
He then turned to the PTI founder, recalling a remark made in the assembly: “Should I have declared war on India?” Asif asked whether anyone from the PTI or JUI-F had stood with the martyrs since then. “None of them came to attend the funerals. They should have been leading the funeral prayers,” he said.
Maryam Nawaz Criticizes Fazlur Rehman
Separately, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took issue with Fazlur Rehman for what she described as support for those “backing terrorism” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“One would not expect a senior politician like Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has himself been a victim of terrorism, to support those who back terrorism,” she said.
She also objected to the language used about the army chief. “The words used by Maulana Sahib about the army chief, who led the country to a historic victory in Marka-e-Haq and under whose leadership Pakistan earned the distinction of protecting the Haramain Sharifain, have hurt the feelings of every patriotic Pakistani,” she said.
Maryam added that officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army continue to give their lives in the fight against terrorism.
