Members of the Balochistan Assembly have taken opposing positions on the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Opposition leader Dr Abdul Malik Baloch warned that such measures could weaken the federation, while government members backed the move as necessary.
Opposition warns measures could weaken the federation
Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, a former chief minister and head of the National Party, condemned the decision and demanded that the elected provincial government be reinstated without delay. He argued that the Constitution does not only contain Articles 232 and 234, but also Article 1, which defines Pakistan as a federation. He said actions against the KP government could push the province away from the federation, describing the current arrangement as a democracy only in name.
He linked the continuing insecurity in the province to the period since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Even so, he cautioned that unusual constitutional steps could have consequences well beyond KP. Urging restraint, he said the country could not absorb further harm, and added that earlier periods under emergency or governor’s rule had brought hardship and economic strain to ordinary people.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), which also sits in opposition in the assembly, had already tabled resolutions opposing the emergency and governor’s rule in KP.
Government members defend security-driven measures
Government members, including Mir Zahoor Buledi, Mir Saleem Khosa and Prince Agha Umar Ahmedzai, defended the decision. They said extraordinary steps were required to address the security situation in KP.
Buledi said that the emergency provisions of the Constitution were designed for exceptional circumstances. He claimed that six districts in KP had become no-go areas and accused the provincial government of not cooperating with security forces in the fight against terrorism. He also criticised what he described as confrontation between the provincial and federal authorities.
Khosa said the decision to impose emergency measures had been taken out of necessity. He also accused the KP government of failing to cooperate with the armed forces, police and civil administration. Ahmedzai argued that similar action should be considered in Balochistan if it became necessary to protect the state, while acknowledging that the situations in the two provinces differed.
