Imposition of Emergency and Governor’s Rule in KP Is the Final Nail in the Coffin of Democracy: Khushal Khan Kakar’s Address in National Assembly
Islamabad (Daily Qudrat Quetta) — Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party Chairman and Member of the National Assembly Khushal Khan Kakar has said that by imposing emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in an unconstitutional and illegal manner, the final nail has been driven into the coffin of democracy in the country, and whatever soul remained of democracy has also been wounded. He expressed these views while delivering a passionate speech in the National Assembly session against the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Khushal Khan Kakar said that the Constitution is being used according to convenience, the judicial system is being weakened, political dissent is being suppressed, and restrictions are being imposed on freedom of expression, while basic democratic principles such as elections, human rights, supremacy of the Constitution, and merit are losing their importance. He said that dismissing an elected provincial government and imposing emergency and governor’s rule is completely contrary to democratic values, the public mandate, and provincial autonomy. Removing an elected government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by using the provincial government’s non-cooperation as a justification for ending terrorism is tantamount to attacking not only one political party but the elected representation of the entire province and the Pashtun people’s right to govern.
He clarified that the Pashtun people have paid a heavy price for terrorism, carried coffins, and watched homes being destroyed, which affected two of their generations. Therefore, instead of lecturing the Pashtun people on this issue, their ground realities, experiences, and suggestions should be heard. He raised the question that if the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was not serious about ending terrorism, then why was an all-parties national jirga convened in the provincial assembly? He demanded that the unanimous declaration of this national jirga be presented before Parliament.
Comparing the situation in Balochistan, Khushal Khan Kakar said that if the provincial government’s non-cooperation is being cited as the cause of unrest, then despite the complete cooperation of the provincial government with the federation in Balochistan, has terrorism ended? He stressed that complex problems like terrorism cannot be solved by dissolving governments or imposing governor’s rule. The current unrest, poverty, and political crisis in the country are the result of the wrong policies of the rulers of Islamabad and Lahore over the past five decades, the consequences of which the people are bearing.
He demanded that democracy, supremacy of the Constitution, provincial autonomy, and respect for the public mandate in the country must be ensured in every case, all provinces must be made equal partners in national decisions, and a permanent national policy for ending terrorism should be formulated under the guidance of the affected people and Parliament rather than through closed doors.
