PM’s aide raises spectre of emergency rule in K-P

Amir Muqam asks Supreme Court, PHC to take notice of CM’s provocative statement

SWAT:

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Amir Muqam has warned that any clash between the province and centre could result in emergency rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

He said that Imran Khan escaped to Peshawar after registration of an FIR against him.

Muqam Tuesday urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) and Peshawar High Court (PHC) to take notice of the irresponsible statement made by the K-P Chief Minister Mahmood Khan regarding use of the K-P force against the federal government in the next PTI march.

Addressing a press-conference at Swat Press Club, Muqam said that it was a serious statement by the CM and the apex court should take suo moto notice of it because it could lead to anarchy.

“The forces of K-P are not the private militia of Mahmood Khan rather they are public servants paid for by the state,” he said.

He added the main duty of K-P force was maintaining law and order rather than protection of long marches.

Muqam said the entire nation had seen the misuse of K-P official resources including its helicopter and storming of Islamabad by a province as part of PTI ‘conspiracy march’ on May 25.

He claimed that despite the use of K-P, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan resources, the march completely failed as was evident from a few hundred protestors on the ground against the tall claims of bringing two million people, forcing Imran to quickly wind it up.

He said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan was responsible for the killing of PTI worker from Mardan during the long march.

“Imran seems to be impressed by the Modi government’s foreign policy as he mentions it at every public meeting,” he said, adding that it created feelings of anger among people of Pakistan as they considered Modi was responsible for the Muslim carnage in Gujrat and of Kashmiris.

He said Imran was a king of U-turns and not interested in early elections.

“I question why Imran is not dissolving the K-P Assembly and verifying his MNAs resignations if he wants early elections,” Muqam observed.

He said PTI chief had broken all election promises be it construction of five million houses or creation of 10 million jobs for youth.

He said Imran was ousted from power after his allies deserted him because of unfulfilled promises and no foreign conspiracy was involved.

The PM’s aide said Imran seemed to be out of his right mind after losing power and was now making failed attempts to drag national institutions into politics in a bid to win back power.

He added that he would never be able to come into power again as his double-standard politics had been exposed to the nation.

He said former selected prime minister neither liked ‘neutral umpires’ nor independent judiciary. He further said that judgments that came in his favour were good and those against him were criticized loudly.

Muqam maintained Imran was nowhere when people were killed, buildings were blown up and banks were looted during militancy in Swat and subsequently over three million people were displaced from Malakand division.

He claimed that Imran went into hiding in Peshawar after his failed long march.

He said people across K-P had rejected his conspiracy march as they knew that Imran government was responsible for the recent price-hike, increase in dollar rate and foreign debt.

He said the PTI government had ruined economy and intentionally kept prices of petroleum down after knowing that his rule was coming to an end.

Earlier, Muqam visited the residence of former member national assembly (MNA) Shahzada Miangul Adnan Aurangzeb and offered fateha for his departed soul.

Muqam also expressed condolences to the bereaved royal family on behalf of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and senior vice President Maryam Nawaz.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2022.