Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said that the possibility of lifting emergency measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could be considered if the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) fulfils its constitutional and legal responsibilities.
“Even now, if the PTI fulfils its constitutional and legal role, the matter can be considered,” Sanaullah said on Friday.
The federal government imposed emergency in KP on October 11 after President Asif Ali Zardari approved the move on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.
The government cited the province’s deteriorating security situation and concerns over counterterrorism efforts. The Imran Khan-founded PTI, which leads the provincial government, has opposed the imposition of emergency and governor's rule.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has taken charge of running the province on behalf of the federal government, assisted by an 11-member technocratic KP Advisory Council.
He said an interim system would not have been necessary had the PTI been willing to fulfil its constitutional and legal responsibilities.
Sanaullah said the government regretted having to place the sisters of PTI founder Imran Khan under house arrest, but added that the measure had become necessary to control the situation.
“Everyone knows what they used to say about the long march,” he said, adding that Khan's sisters had made statements calling for an attack on the Governor's House.
He said everyone was also aware of the kind of statements made by what he described as the PTI's social media “mafia”.
Sanaullah said the opposition was suffering because of its own conduct. He contrasted the conduct of the current prime minister with that of Khan when he was in office.
“When the PTI founder was prime minister, he did not even telephone the opposition leader,” Sanaullah said.
“Whenever the current prime minister comes to the House, he shakes hands with the opposition leader.”
The PM's adviser warned that terrorism could become a threat to Pakistan's existence if it was not eliminated immediately.
He said India could no longer fight Pakistan in a conventional war and added that the entire region viewed Pakistan as a security provider.
He further stated that India had established its bases in Afghanistan and was financing terrorism.
Sanaullah said Pakistan's existence would be threatened if the nation failed to unite against terrorism and the federal and provincial governments did not adopt a common policy.
Separately, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz criticised the PTI, saying those who claimed to have raised public awareness had destroyed people's lives instead.
She said no one had brought down the PTI government; the party had brought down its own government.
“This is the first long march that ended with the end of its own government,” Maryam said while addressing an event in Sahiwal on Friday.
She also described it as the first long march that had consumed the government.
Questioning the party's conduct, Punjab CM asked whether anyone had ever seen one province attack another province or the federal government.
“Punjab is entering the age of artificial intelligence today, while KP is in the Stone Age,” she said.
The provincial chief added that the people of KP would now learn what development meant.
