ISLAMABAD: Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has defended the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). He said the decision did not overthrow an elected government.
“The Constitution provides that, if circumstances so warrant, the federal government, the prime minister and the president may take these decisions,” Tarar said.
He spoke at a briefing for international media in Islamabad alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
President Asif Ali Zardari proclaimed an emergency and imposed governor’s rule in KP on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice. The federal government cited the province’s worsening security situation.
According to the President Secretariat’s Media Wing, the decision followed federal cabinet recommendations and advice from the prime minister. Security institutions also submitted reports on the law-and-order situation.
The statement, issued on October 11, also cited the breakdown of talks between federal officials and the provincial leadership over security concerns.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which has governed KP since 2013, condemned the move. The party also vowed to challenge it in court.
Tarar Cites Articles 232 and 234
Tarar said the government had imposed emergency and governor’s rule under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.
“The Constitution is the fundamental document that defines the system of government and procedures for dealing with different situations,” he said.
The law minister noted that Pakistan had battled terrorism for decades. He added that the problem was not limited to recent years.
According to Tarar, terrorist incidents in KP have increased significantly. Various government institutions have shared related data with the federal government.
He said the Prime Minister’s Office reviewed the reports before the government made its decision.
Tarar also explained that the Constitution allows the president to proclaim an emergency on the prime minister’s advice. He said the process requires the prime minister’s advice and the president’s satisfaction.
The law minister rejected claims that the move served political interests. He argued that the government could have taken the same step earlier if politics had driven its decision.
Federal Government Says It Sought Joint Counterterrorism Plan
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the federal government had repeatedly tried to reach an agreement with the PTI and the KP government. The proposed agreement focused on counterterrorism measures.
However, he alleged that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi rejected a joint arrangement.
“Our only agenda was non-political,” Attaullah Tarar said. He added that the federal government wanted a united strategy against terrorism.
The minister said the PTI could continue its political march and present its other demands. He stressed that the federal government had not opposed the party’s political activities.
Instead, he said, the government wanted all sides to agree on a strategy against terrorism.
Attaullah Tarar added that officials had tried several times to persuade the PTI and the provincial administration through talks.
He also alleged that Afridi was unwilling to adopt a counterterrorism policy or coordinate action against militant violence.
Attaullah Tarar Warns Against Separate Security Policies
The information minister said Pakistan already had a National Action Plan. High-level committee meetings, he added, help coordinate counterterrorism efforts.
“The question is why one province was reluctant to hold meetings of these high-level committees,” he said.
Tarar argued that Pakistan could not maintain two foreign policies or separate approaches to fighting terrorism.
He said the federal government wanted to eliminate terrorist safe havens. It also wanted to prevent Afghan territory from being used for attacks against Pakistan.
“It is not acceptable for the federal government to demand that Afghanistan stop terrorism while the provincial government follows a different policy,” he said.
Tarar linked the lack of apex committee meetings in KP to the growing divide between the provincial and federal governments.
He also criticised what he described as the provincial government’s lack of interest in counterterrorism efforts. Furthermore, he alleged that provincial officials had expressed sympathy towards terrorists on several occasions.
The information minister claimed that militants had informally become part of the administrative structure in some southern districts of KP. He further alleged that the provincial government was unwilling to deal with them under the law.
The PTI has vowed to challenge the governor’s rule in court.
