Barrister Gohar Warns Emergency in KP Could Deepen Crisis, Calls for Political Dialogue
ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has warned that imposing governor’s rule or an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would further aggravate the crisis, urging the federal government to pursue dialogue and avoid measures that could intensify political tensions.
Speaking to journalists in Peshawar after meeting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Gohar said federal intervention had weakened the authority of the provincial government.
He claimed that the province was effectively already under governor’s rule, although no formal announcement had been made.
Gohar maintained that emergency measures were not the solution to terrorism and could prove harmful to both the province and the federal government.
He said there was consensus on the need to eliminate terrorism, but differences remained over the strategy to achieve that objective.
### PTI Calls for Apex Committee Meeting
The PTI chairman suggested that if the situation warranted imposing an emergency or governor’s rule, the federal or provincial apex committee should convene a meeting.
He urged the authorities to consult all political parties so that any decisions taken to address the security situation could receive broader public and political support.
Gohar said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could not afford further political experiments and called on the country’s political leadership to demonstrate wisdom and avoid actions that might increase tensions.
He added that the PTI’s long march was organised around six demands, which he described as constitutional and legal.
### Concerns Over Missing Party Leaders and Restricted Meetings
Gohar also called for the immediate restoration of meetings with PTI founder Imran Khan, claiming that restrictions on access to him had continued for a year. He said restoring the meetings could help improve the political situation.
The PTI chairman further alleged that eight members of the National Assembly and nine members of the provincial assembly had been taken into custody or had gone missing, including three provincial ministers.
He also expressed concern over the reported detention of Imran Khan’s sisters and a cousin, urging the national leadership to abandon a rigid approach and pursue political engagement.
Gohar reiterated that imposing an emergency or governor’s rule would worsen the situation rather than resolve the province’s security challenges.
His remarks come amid heightened tensions between the federal government and the PTI-led provincial administration over security policy, governance and the possibility of constitutional intervention in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
