PTI parliamentary party to seek rollback of emergency and Governor's Rule
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the party's lawmakers will work to roll back emergency measures and Governor's Rule. He spoke outside Parliament House in Islamabad after a joint parliamentary party meeting attended by about 70 members.
- PTI's parliamentary party says it will work to end emergency and Governor's Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- About 70 MNAs and senators attended a joint meeting that lasted eight hours, according to Geo News.
- Gohar said the 28th Constitutional Amendment was not discussed.
- Recommendations were sent to the two opposition leaders for approval.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Wednesday that the party's parliamentary wing will work to roll back the emergency and Governor's Rule. He was speaking to reporters outside Parliament House in Islamabad.
He said about 70 members of the National Assembly and Senate attended a joint parliamentary party meeting. Geo News reported that the meeting, held a day earlier, lasted eight hours and strongly condemned the imposition of emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Participants unanimously expressed confidence in the party leadership and in both opposition leaders, and praised the role of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi. Daily Times reported that the party resolved to pursue constitutional remedies against the enforcement measures.
Recommendations were drafted and sent to opposition leaders Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. The party will finalise its joint strategy once they approve them. Daily Times reported that opposition teams are preparing legal petitions for higher judicial forums against the emergency orders.
Gohar said the 28th Constitutional Amendment was not on the agenda and was not discussed. He said: "No decision or proposal regarding the 28th Amendment came before the meeting." He added that the party's position on it was already clear and called for avoiding controversial legislation, warning that rushed legislation could create further crises.
On the creation of provinces, Gohar said national consensus is necessary and that provinces should not be divided without the consent of the people. On the political vacuum created by the measures, he said: "The parliamentary party will play an active role in filling this vacuum."
Geo News also reported that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman met Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, according to a spokesperson for the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan. They discussed the political situation and cooperation among opposition parties, condemned the emergency and governor's rule, and raised concern over arrests of the chief minister, the provincial assembly speaker and MNAs. They called for the release of political prisoners, consulted on holding an all-parties conference and backed Fazl's call for a new Charter of Democracy.
Why it matters
The emergency and Governor's Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa affect how the province is governed and who holds power there, and the opposition's planned response shapes the political situation for its residents.
