Govt provides grist to rumour mill over K-P governor's rule

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Monday that the provision for governor's rule 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 fuelling political disorder.

Amid speculation that the federal government was weighing governor's rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Tarar said Articles 232 to 234 of the Constitution explicitly allowed the measure if circumstances warranted it.

He cautioned against political point-scoring and argued that national stability must take priority over partisan agendas. "If Pakistan exists, all of us exist," he said, adding that continuity of democratic order would allow even the PTI founder to hope for a political return.

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

The law minister warned that history was unforgiving toward political miscalculations, insisting democratic processes could not function under coercion, threats or any attempt to attack the Federation using state resources.

Referencing 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 PTI had filed more than 90 election petitions, most of which had been decided through established legal forums, and warned that bypassing constitutional mechanisms damaged political credibility and sent harmful signals to younger generations.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar echoed this criticism in the House, saying jail meetings were meant for legal consultation, not for conspiring against national institutions or maligning the Pakistan Army on foreign platforms.

He accused PTI leaders of selective memory, recalling past remarks aimed at political opponents, and said political bitterness intensified during the PTI tenure because of arrests, institutional confrontations and actions that "created an intolerable environment".

He said earlier political rivalries survived because leaders such as Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto had upheld the Charter of Democracy. He insisted illegal demands would not be entertained and criticised former accountability officials for creating hostility before leaving the country.

National Assembly Member Noor Alam Khan warned that any attack on parliament amounted to an attack on the country's 240 million citizens, saying disagreements must not be converted into assaults on the state. He said patriotism was not exclusive to any party and that inciting hostility toward parliament did not serve Pakistan's interests.

Outside the House, ministers reiterated that governor's rule in K-P remained under consideration. Attaullah Tarar told reporters the option was constitutional and naturally surfaced when governance weakened.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary urged Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to avoid escalating tensions with the Centre, saying the federal government had kept him briefed on security matters and that political point-scoring would only complicate administrative challenges.

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

PTI Chairman Barrister Ali Gohar dismissed the possibility of governor's rule, arguing that neither the grounds nor the conditions existed. He warned against rumour-mongering and said the province should operate strictly under the Constitution.

PTI's Asad Qaiser criticised the government's tone, warning of serious political repercussions if the measure were imposed. The party's parliamentary committee said such a move would fuel instability, weaken law and order and undermine the public mandate.

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

(WITH INPUT FROM AGENCIES