The party is walking a tightrope as the government sees governor’s rule in the PTI-ruled province, insiders claim
Governor KP Faisal Karim Kundi. Photo: File
LAHORE:
The PPP is facing mounting pressure from powerful quarters to support the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), but despite repeated indications, the party remains reluctant to support an extreme and destabilizing move, two senior party sources confirmed on Tuesday.
A party official while talking to The Express Pakinomist said “some powers wanted the governorship rules in KP to end PTI’s reign in the province. For which they want to use PPP’s shoulder”.
He added that the proposal “to impose governor’s rule” had been mooted repeatedly but the party had not supported it.
According to him, the PPP’s “public change of attitude in the light of the change in circumstances” did not change its “principled positional opposition to governing extreme measures”.
He warned that such a move would be politically explosive for the region. “It would not be possible to govern the province with governor rule without further pushing it into anarchy. The political dynamics are very different in KP.”
Another PPP insider warned that any attempt to use the party as a conduit for the governor’s rule could backfire disastrously. He maintained that “imposing governorship rules by any party would be a mega blunder”.
Acknowledging the risk of defiance, he said “resisting such proposals from those in power has its consequences, but sometimes you have to draw a line”.
The source also expressed fear of the dangerous precedent such a decision could set. “There is a flip side to this move, well assuming that the PPP complies with the instruction of the Governor’s rule, opens the can of worms, then who would stop the PML-N form of government from doing the same in Sindh when such a need arises.”
“An urgent scenario and need can be produced at any time in Pakistan,” he observed.
But while reiterating the PPP’s principled stance, he admitted that the party did not want to fall out of favor with the establishment and that “it will have to walk this tightrope”.
The discussion picked up steam a day earlier after two federal ministers hinted at the possibility of invoking governor’s rule in KP citing deteriorating security conditions and government failures.
Addressing the National Assembly, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said Governor’s Rules were not martial law, adding that it was a constitutional measure, while the Information Minister said talk of such action only arises when things continue to spiral out of control.
Historically, Centra has flagged the threat of Governor’s rule to pressure the KP government when tensions escalate. Although the province has twice experienced governorship, first when assemblies were dissolved and later when governments were ousted, party calculations appear to be markedly different this time.
Other political actors have also distanced themselves from the idea. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, when asked about it, remarked that “those who are going to impose governor’s rule should answer this”.
Likewise, ANP leader Aimal Wali Khan was also “opposed to imposition of governor’s rule despite his vociferous opposition to PTI”.
