Terrorism cannot be solved through governor’s rule or emerge

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said that terrorism cannot be solved through governor’s rule or an emergency, warning that either step would further deepen the crisis and harm both the province and the federation. He said there was agreement on eliminating terrorism, but disagreement only over the method, and called for the immediate restoration of closed-door meetings with Imran Khan, saying this would improve the situation.

Speaking to the media in Peshawar after meeting Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Barrister Gohar Khan said Federal intervention had weakened the writ of the provincial government. He said the reality was that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was effectively under governor’s rule, with only a formal announcement remaining.

He reiterated that governor’s rule or an emergency was not the solution to terrorism and would further worsen the crisis. He said an emergency would be harmful to both the province and the federation, adding that there was agreement on ending terrorism but disagreement over the procedure.

He also said that restrictions on meetings with Imran Khan for the past year should be ended immediately, as this would lead to improvement. “Nine MPAs and eight MNAs, including our three ministers, have been picked up.” He said Khan Sahib’s sisters and cousin were in jail, calling the situation alarming.

Barrister Gohar urged the country’s leadership to abandon stubbornness and demonstrate political insight. He said governor’s rule was effectively in place in the province, while the provincial government was functioning but had been weakened by interference from the federal government.

Speaking to journalists in Peshawar, the PTI chairman said that if there was a situation warranting an emergency or governor’s rule, a meeting of the federal or provincial apex committee should be convened and all political parties should be heard so that the public could take ownership of the decision.

He said an emergency or governor’s rule would further worsen conditions and that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could not afford any more experimentation at present. He added that the party’s long march had been held for six demands, which were constitutional and legal, and said the country’s political leadership must act with insight and avoid steps that could increase tensions.