Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday said the chief of a political party was deeply upset after failing to secure the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governorship or any position in the new governor’s rule arrangement. Speaking informally to reporters in Lahore, Naqvi did not name the leader but claimed the politician had depended on the establishment’s support for many years to stay active in politics.
He went further and said the establishment had even arranged air tickets for the party’s activities in the past. According to the minister, such leaders should not point fingers at others today. Political differences, he stressed, should be settled through proper arguments and facts instead of using harsh language and baseless accusations.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa came under a new administrative system last Sunday when President Asif Ali Zardari imposed an emergency and governor’s rule. The decision, taken on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, effectively removed the PTI-led provincial government from power. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi will now run the province with the help of an 11-member advisory council, while Parliament will handle legislative matters.
Naqvi also questioned some politicians who are suddenly raising their voice about the resources of the former FATA districts. He asked why these same leaders remained silent for years when those areas were not getting their fair share. The minister insisted that the rights and resources of the people of former FATA must stay above party politics.
Turning to security, Naqvi said the province is facing serious challenges. He urged political leaders to help restore peace and fight terrorism rather than create more unrest. “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needs peace, stability and collective efforts, not political confrontation,” he said.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif later added that those now criticising the emergency had actually wanted a role in the new setup but did not get one. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also criticised JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for his recent statements, saying a senior politician who himself suffered from terrorism should not support those who back it.
