Sanaullah links governor's rule in KP to counterterrorism cooperation
PM’s aide says PTI’s long march is not the trigger; KP law minister alleges conspiracy against provincial governmentISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday...
-- PM’s aide says PTI’s long march is not the trigger; KP law minister alleges conspiracy against provincial government ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday said the possibility of imposing governor’s rule or an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was linked to counterterrorism cooperation, not the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long march.
Speaking in a TV programme, the PML-N leader said the situation could be resolved if the PTI leadership and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi stood alongside the federal government and law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism. Sanaullah said negotiations between the government and opposition appeared to be heading towards a dead end, as the PTI seemed unwilling to abandon its march and accept the government’s offer of talks.
He maintained that the proposed constitutional measures were not connected to whether the PTI continued its march towards Islamabad. “If they do not make this commitment, then whether they hold the long march all the way to Islamabad or keep it short of Islamabad will make no difference,” he said.
Sanaullah added that Afridi had repeatedly stated over the past three or four days that military operations would not be allowed in the province. He rejected the suggestion that an emergency would necessarily entail the evacuation of districts or the displacement of residents, saying the proposed measures would involve intelligence-based operations.
“Imposing an emergency certainly does not mean that those districts will be evacuated and people turned into internally displaced persons (IDPs). Rather, intelligence-based operations will be conducted within the territorial jurisdiction,” he said. KP minister rejects allegations Appearing on the same programme, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law Minister Aftab Alam questioned what he described as contradictory statements by federal ministers regarding the possibility of governor’s rule or an emergency.
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He said some ministers had linked the proposed measures to the PTI’s long march, while others had cited an alleged lack of cooperation from the provincial government on counterterrorism. Alam alleged that a narrative was being built against the KP government as part of a “nefarious conspiracy”, aimed at portraying the provincial administration as sympathetic to forces opposed to the state.
“Our stance is clear: this war is ours even before it is the federation’s,” he said, insisting that the PTI and the provincial government supported law enforcement agencies in combating terrorism. He added that the provincial government had strengthened the police and accused political opponents of deliberately making its position on security controversial.
The prospect of governor’s rule has become a major source of tension between the federal government and the PTI-led provincial administration. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on September 21 that the government was consulting the Law Ministry on possible legal options for KP, including governor’s rule, if the PTI proceeded with its long march.
Two days later, Information Minister Atta Tarar said the federal government had no intention of removing the provincial government. Other federal ministers, including Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam, have also referred to consultations on constitutional and legal options for the province.
Afridi has rejected the warnings, saying he would not retreat under pressure and that PTI supporters could take to the streets at short notice if an attempt was made to remove him. Talks collapse amid long-march tensions The latest confrontation follows the breakdown of negotiations between the government and opposition parties over the PTI’s planned march and the deteriorating security situation in KP.
The prime minister and the president had formed a committee to engage the PTI and other opposition parties, with talks taking place over two days. The negotiations initially appeared to make progress but eventually stalled over several contentious issues, particularly the proposed counterterrorism measures and the PTI’s demand for access to its jailed founder, Imran Khan.
The government blamed Afridi and the provincial administration for the deadlock, alleging that they had backtracked on commitments made during negotiations. The PTI, however, maintained that the talks collapsed because the government refused to accommodate its demand for a meeting with Imran Khan.
As negotiations failed, Afridi resumed the march, which entered its sixth day on Friday as the convoy moved towards Charsadda from Peshawar. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif subsequently renewed his offer of dialogue, saying the government was prepared to engage with the opposition if the PTI called off its march and sit-ins.
The party rejected the offer as its protest continued. The dispute over counterterrorism cooperation, the future of the provincial government and the PTI’s protest campaign has further strained relations between Islamabad and Peshawar, with both sides continuing to trade allegations.
Article text via FreeNewsAPI. Rights remain with Pakistan Today.
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