Islamabad, Oct 27 (IANS) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Gohar Ali Khan has accused the federal government of imposing governor’s rule and emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to target his party instead of addressing the security challenges faced by the province, describing the measures as a pretext for political victimisation.
Speaking to reporters outside parliament on Monday, Khan expressed PTI’s opposition to imposition of governor’s rule and emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while stressing that there could be no two views on eliminating terrorism, Pakistan-based daily The Express Tribune reported.
“You have imposed governor’s rule and an emergency, both of which we reject. Terrorism must be eliminated; there can be no two opinions on that,” The Express Tribune quoted Khan as saying.
Criticising the 30-day extension in the detention of PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters, Gohar Ali Khan said that Aleema Khan, despite being a non-political figure, had been subjected to additional 30 days of detention.
PTI chairman’s statement comes after Pakistan’s federal government imposed an emergency and Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Earlier on October 11, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari approved emergency measures after recommendations made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet. The move suspended the provincial government led by former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan-founded PTI and placed the province under Governor’s rule. In addition, the federal government announced the deployment of forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and several cabinet members were detained on October 12. The federal government’s decision came at a time when PTI had been preparing major protests demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan, Pakistan-based another daily Dawn reported.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has demanded an end to emergency and governor’s rule in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and called for the immediate release of the chief executive and all others arbitrarily detained.
Earlier on Sunday, the HRCP said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, being the only province in Pakistan which is led by the opposition, makes the federal government’s decision to impose emergency and governor’s rule “more troubling” and condemned the detention of the elected chief executive and other elected representatives, terming it a “grave affront to democratic norms.”
“Earlier, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly cautioned the authorities against imposing an emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Two weeks on, we reiterate our unequivocal opposition to these measures. Our concerns remain the erosion of democratic space, the disenfranchisement of the province’s electorate, arbitrary and preventive detention, and the disproportionate impact of security measures on civilians,” the HRCP posted on X.
“That Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the country’s only opposition-led province makes this intervention particularly troubling. The detention of its elected chief executive is a grave affront to democratic norms, while the arrests of other elected representatives and political workers, including women PTI workers in Punjab, point to a wider crackdown on political activity,” it added.
The HRCP said that it condemns militancy and terrorism but stressed that counter-terrorism measures must be taken within the law and not become a pretext for collective punishment, using excessive force or the suppression of fundamental rights.
“Preventive and unlawful detention must not become a tool for silencing opposition or bypassing judicial safeguards. Detainees must be informed of the grounds for their detention, given access to lawyers and families, and produced before a court within the legally mandated timeframe. The province’s history of opaque internment centres makes these safeguards particularly urgent,” the HRCP said.
The rights group voiced concern over reports of police raids on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in Khyber, Peshawar and Swat. It demanded the immediate release of the chief executive and all others arbitrarily detained, the lifting of emergency and governor’s rule, and the restoration of the provincial assembly. It urged the Pakistan government and PTI to resume political dialogue to address militancy, protect fundamental rights and secure local ownership of resources.
–IANS
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