Secretary Salman Akram Raja rejected claims that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was responsible for the collapse of negotiations with the federal government. Raja stated that the talks failed primarily because of concerns regarding provincial autonomy and the refusal to grant access to the personal physicians of Imran Khan.
“These were the two principal reasons why the talks collapsed,” Raja said. The Secretary alleged that the government intentionally undermined the discussions and sought to seize control of the province.
Raja described the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as unconstitutional, adding that the authorities simply wanted to take over the province. A plan is underway for Raja to convene an all-parties conference within 10 days, while Maulana Fazlur Rehman remains in contact with him regarding the current situation.
Raja also claimed that the long march by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has not concluded. Senator Syed Ali Zafar noted that negotiations with the government were not imminent because the terms of reference have yet to be determined.
Zafar further asserted that the federal government decided to impose governor’s rule approximately 1.5 months earlier than expected. Shaukat Ali Yousafzai distanced his party from YouTubers who are campaigning against state institutions.
Yousafzai claimed that Imran Khan referred to the armed forces as his own institution and argued that the government used peace and security concerns as a pretext for the emergency. President Asif Ali Zardari approved the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 11 October.
The federal government authorized the army to assist the civil administration following the transfer of executive authority to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi. The emergency proclamation covers 12 districts and marks the fourth instance of governor’s rule in the province.
PTI filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court on 12 October to challenge the emergency measures. A joint sitting of Parliament approved resolutions on 15 October endorsing the emergency and governor’s rule for a period of 2 months.
