Mohsin Naqvi Says Emergency in KP Could Have Been Avoided Through Agreement

Speaking during a Senate session, Naqvi said the measures related to governor’s rule or an emergency in the province were considered under constitutional procedures. He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had reviewed the relevant constitutional provisions to ensure there was no violation.

He offered to form a parliamentary committee to examine whether the imposition of governor’s rule violated any constitutional provision. He said the relevant clauses should be considered before declaring the measure right or wrong.

According to Naqvi, parliamentary negotiations initially focused on terrorism, with the first seven to eight points addressing the issue. He claimed opposition leader Asad Qaiser had agreed to support the government’s efforts against terrorism and take responsibility for engaging with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

The interior minister said the draft proposals were revised four times during negotiations, and six changes suggested in the final round were also accepted. He said the final draft was sent to the provincial chief minister and then conveyed to Murad Saeed, but the talks failed to make progress.

Naqvi said the government had the authority to impose an emergency or governor’s rule even before November 26 but had instead tried to resolve the matter through negotiations. He added that government representatives remained in contact with opposition leaders until around 11:45pm on the final night.

He described the decision to impose an emergency or governor’s rule as difficult, saying the government had not wanted to take such a step but considered it necessary in the prevailing circumstances.

Naqvi also called for political differences to be kept separate from the fight against terrorism. Referring to the deaths of army personnel and police officers, he said effective cooperation was essential to eliminate the threat.

The minister further alleged that some individuals in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had links with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claiming that evidence was available and could be presented if required. He also said most people involved in terrorist incidents came from Afghanistan.

Naqvi said the federal government’s priority was to eliminate terrorism and that it wanted to work with the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.