LAHORE: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday warned the PTI that the KP government’s non-cooperation with federal institutions might lead to the imposition of governor’s rule in the province.
The talks of governor’s rule in KP emerged after Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said that the imposition of governor’s rule in KP was being “seriously considered”, linking the need for this potential move to the “security and governance issues” in the province.
“The PTI cannot end the sentence of its party founder Imran Khan by attempting to forcibly shut down Islamabad or Peshawar, as protests and sit-ins cannot secure his release,” Kundi said, referring to the opposition party’s multiple attempts to march to the federal capital and its protests in Peshawar to put pressure on authorities for the release of the former prime minister.
Speaking to the media, the KP governor said Imran, who is currently serving his sentence in Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, was enjoying “VVIP facilities” in the prison and that “road blockades would not change his legal fate”.
“I don’t wish Imran Khan to be treated in the same manner as PTI leaders desired for their opponents,” he said.
Kundi said if the KP government cooperated with federal institutions, there would be no need for the governor’s rule. However, non-cooperation, particularly on the repatriation of Afghan refugees, could lead to such a step.
Citing the PTI-led federal government’s decision to hold talks with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2021, Kundi said the PTI had advocated engagement with terrorists. “But today, the state would never negotiate with those who take up arms against it,” he added.
“No country allows foreigners to live without visas. The same rule applies in Pakistan,” he said.
Pakistan had provided solid evidence that Afghan soil was being used against Pakistan, but Kabul was not taking the matter seriously, he said. “No foreigner would be allowed to stay in Pakistan without a visa,” he added, noting that Afghan refugees could return legally. “All Afghans are not terrorists, but a few elements are creating problems,” the governor said.
He said that, though PTI had refused to shake hands, the talks with them were still welcome, but political dialogue was not possible without the PML-N. He alleged that PTI was now attempting to bring in an “imported opposition.”
Criticising KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the governor said the chief minister and his cabinet appeared to be operating from outside Adiala prison rather than governing the province. “The real issue in KP is governance. There has been no visible development over the past two years, or even during the last 13 years,” he said, calling the province a “hub of corruption”.
He ruled out the era of “selective accountability,” saying recent judgments proved that accountability was applied to institutions and extended to the judiciary.
The governor also condemned the May 9 violence, saying no patriot could commit such acts.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar earlier said “governor’s rule is not the face of any martial law” and added that if the conditions merit it, then it was within the Constitution to implement it.
