DID Press: Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has warned that imposing an emergency or governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would further intensify the country’s political and security crisis, saying his party would use all available political and legal options to oppose such a move.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament in Islamabad, Gohar said the PTI would strongly oppose any attempt to remove or weaken the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in order to impose governor’s rule.
He said Pakistan’s provinces should retain the necessary powers and autonomy, arguing that weakening the provincial government would be inconsistent with a strong federal system. Gohar added that if the federal government imposed emergency measures or governor’s rule, the PTI would use its available political and legal avenues to challenge the decision.
Gohar also said that the PTI had not yet decided to resign from Pakistan’s National Assembly.
The remarks come as Pakistan’s federal government has been considering constitutional options, including emergency measures and governor’s rule, amid political and security tensions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the PTI’s planned October 4 march toward Islamabad. On September 30, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting where the options were discussed.
As of October 1, however, reports said the federal government had not taken an immediate decision to impose either emergency rule or governor’s rule, instead continuing consultations over the political and security situation.
The PTI has said its October 4 march will remain peaceful, while the federal government has raised concerns over the security situation and the planned protest.