The government supplies grist to the rumor mill about the KP governor’s rule

ISLAMABAD:

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday said the provision of governorship in a province was a constitutional option rather than a form of martial law as he accused the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of fueling political disorder.

Amid speculation that the federal government was weighing governor’s rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Tarar said Articles 232 to 234 of the constitution expressly allowed the measure if circumstances warranted it.

He warned against political point-scoring and argued that national stability must be prioritized over partisan agendas. “If Pakistan exists, we all exist,” he said, adding that continuity of democratic order would enable even the PTI founder to hope for a political comeback.

He said the PTI had weakened its own position by abandoning parliament after the 2022 no-confidence vote, calling it a strategic misstep that left the party without institutional influence.

The Law Minister warned that history was unforgiving of political miscalculations, insisting that democratic processes could not function under coercion, threats or any attempt to attack the federation using state resources.

Referring to past injustices – including the execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto – he stressed that political parties had not turned against the state even in those moments, noting that “lines were never crossed”, including when Nawaz Sharif was twice removed from office.

He pointed out that the PTI had filed more than 90 election petitions, most of which had been decided through established legal forums, and warned that circumventing constitutional mechanisms was damaging political credibility and sending harmful signals to younger generations.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar echoed this criticism in Parliament, saying prison meetings were meant for legal consultation, not to conspire against national institutions or vilify the Pakistan Army on foreign platforms.

He accused PTI leaders of selective memory, recalling earlier remarks targeting political opponents, and said political bitterness intensified during PTI’s tenure due to arrests, institutional confrontations and actions that “created an intolerable environment”.

He said past political rivalries survived because leaders like Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto had upheld the charter of democracy. He insisted that illegal demands would not be entertained and criticized former officials in charge for creating hostility before leaving the country.

National Assembly member Noor Alam Khan warned that any attack on parliament was tantamount to an attack on the country’s 240 million citizens and said differences must not be converted into attacks on the state. He said that patriotism was not exclusive to any party and that inciting hostility against Parliament does not serve the interests of Pakistan.

Outside the House, the ministers reiterated that Governor’s rule in KP remained under consideration. Attaullah Tarar told reporters that the option was constitutional and naturally emerged as governance weakened.

Home Minister Talal Chaudhary urged Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to avoid escalating tensions with the Centre, saying the federal government had kept him apprised of security issues and that political point-scoring would only complicate administrative challenges.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said in a television interview that no final decision had been made, but confirmed that the option remained on the table. Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah offered the same view, stressing that while the governor’s rule was under consideration, no action had been approved and future developments depended on Afridi’s conduct.

PTI chairman Barrister Ali Gohar dismissed the possibility of Governor’s rule, claiming that neither the reasons nor the conditions existed. He cautioned against rumours, saying the province should operate strictly under the constitution.

PTI’s Asad Qaiser criticized the government’s tone and warned of dire political consequences if the measure was imposed. The party’s parliamentary committee said such a move would create instability, weaken law and order and undermine the public mandate.

Qaiser said any attempt to destabilize the provincial government would deepen the unrest, adding that the PTI continued to demand the release of its founder. He called it a violation of human rights to block meetings with family members and party representatives.

(WITH INPUT FROM AGENCIES