K-P abuzz with governor's rule rumours

Officials, Kundi deny any move under consideration

ISLAMABAD:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's political landscape remained unsettled on Sunday as rumours of possible governor's rule intensified, prompting denials from both the Prime Minister's Office and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.

Sources familiar with the political scenario said the idea of imposing governor's rule has been under examination in Islamabad, with the government's initial preference reportedly to retain Governor Faisal Karim Kundi if consensus is achieved within the ruling coalition.

According to these sources, alternative names were being floated only as contingency options. They said three political figures — Amir Haider Hoti, Pervez Khattak and Aftab Sherpao — were being mentioned should agreement not emerge on Kundi's continuation.

They added that if political nominees also fail to secure consensus, the government may consider retired military officers, including Lieutenant General (retd) Khalid Rabbani, Lieutenant General (retd) Ghayur Mehmood and Lieutenant General (retd) Tariq Khan.

Speculation gained further traction when Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik told a private news channel that governor's rule in K-P was being "seriously considered", linking the potential move to "security and governance issues" in the province.

Malik alleged that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and his team had "badly failed in having any sort of workable situation", adding: "Neither do they want to have any kind of coordination or cohesion with the Centre, nor do they take any action in areas where it was needed."

When asked whether the government had finalised its decision, Malik said the president held authority on the prime minister's advice under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. Responding to another question, he said a governor's recommendation could also be one option.

Officials at the Prime Minister's Office, however, insisted on Sunday that no decision had been taken and no formal proposal was under review, dismissing the talk of governor's rule as mere speculation.

They noted that the prime minister had recently expressed confidence in Governor Kundi during a meeting that covered administrative matters and the province's share in the upcoming National Finance Commission Award.

Despite the swirl of reports, Kundi maintained that he had not been consulted on any such move. He said he had only heard the claims through the media and stressed that he had received no official communication regarding any change in his position or the imposition of governor's rule.

"If the media is going to appoint the governor, then God help us," he remarked while speaking to journalists. He added that he would accept whatever decision his party, the Pakistan Peoples Party, ultimately takes.

Kundi reiterated that the Constitution does contain a provision for governor's rule but emphasised that no conversation had taken place with him on the matter. He cautioned that K-P's fragile security environment left little room for political agitation.

Meanwhile, reports of a possible change continued circulating, with political sources suggesting that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi's rigid posture toward federal institutions had contributed to internal discussions.

These claims remained unverified and were not acknowledged by the Prime Minister's Office, which continued to state that no formal review was in progress. Political commentators described the moment as a significant test of federal-provincial relations.

(WITH INPUT FROM OUR PESHAWAR CORRESPONDENT)