Rally in Peshawar. Photo: Express
PESHAWAR:
As whispers of a possible governor’s rule grow louder and criticism of governance gains ground, the opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) has warned that if such a move is imposed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, “every square in the province will become D-Chowk”.
The alliance, which also includes the embattled provincial ruling PTI, said the final phase of the “battle between truth and lies” had begun, arguing that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan represented the country’s true democratic force as political fault lines deepened and tensions simmered.
Speaking at a rally in Peshawar on Sunday, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who heads the alliance, said the movement had left its opponents on the back foot while defending Imran, adding that under Pakistan’s constitution anyone who violated the constitution should be treated as “a security risk”.
He expressed regret that those who raised the banner of the Constitution and the rule of law were sent behind bars.
He called for a national conference and called for judges, generals, religious scholars and politicians to be brought to the same table, suggesting that such a forum should serve as a bridge between forgiveness and reconciliation to “save the country”.
Achakzai said that if governor’s rule was imposed in KP, “every square in the province will become D-Chowk”.
‘KP not a laboratory’
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was “not a laboratory” where outsiders can arrive and impose decisions at will.
He asserted that future policies will be shaped through consultation with provincial politicians, members of the provincial and national assemblies and tribal elders, and will be implemented accordingly.
Using metaphorical language, he said some “political crows” were trying to goad him to leave office, but as “Iqbal’s shaheen”, he would continue to soar higher and could not be harmed by such tactics.
He emphasized that PTI did not believe in confrontational politics and had always taken the constitutional and legal path without violating the constitution or the rule of law.
Announcing a Rs 100 billion development package for Peshawar, he said the city had remained a PTI stronghold since 2013 and the public had repeatedly given the party a clean slate in the 2013 to 2024 elections.
Rejecting criticism of governance in the province, Afridi said that if the governance had been bad, his party would not have been able to form a government for the third time.
Rejecting allegations that the KP government was not serious, he said the rulers were carrying out “operation after operation and drone after drone” and if their policies failed, they should change them instead of blaming others.
Afridi said “political youth” accused him of only talking about the party’s jailed founder Imran Khan, adding that people should know the name of their own leader.
He claimed that when his name was proposed for the post of Chief Minister, allegations were leveled against him.
Targeting the federal ministers, he hit out at “two political clown ministers” who held press conferences against Imran Khan, followed by a recent press conference where “wrong words” were used against him.
He said his upbringing did not allow him to respond to abuse with abuse.
Describing himself as a tribesman, Afridi said he loved Pakistan’s institutions and did not use abusive language against anyone. He said that their elders and youth had sacrificed for the country’s progress and prosperity.
While avoiding criticism of state institutions, the chief minister nonetheless blasted the government leaders and also drew a distinction between “fake ministers, fake senators and the spokesperson of an institution”. He added that although he was not talking about himself, he would not tolerate statements against his leader.
