Naqvi claims political party chief upset over not getting KP governorship

LAHORE: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday claimed that the head of a political party was upset over not being appointed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor or given a role in the province’s governor’s rule setup.

Speaking informally to journalists in Lahore, Naqvi did not name the politician but alleged that the leader had relied on the establishment’s support for decades to remain politically active.

“Such was his situation that even the air tickets for his political party were arranged by the establishment,” the interior minister claimed.

Naqvi said politicians should raise their differences through arguments and facts rather than using what he described as indecent language and making accusations.

The remarks come after President Asif Ali Zardari imposed emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last Sunday, following advice from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.

Under the new arrangement, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi is exercising the provincial government’s functions on behalf of the federation, with the assistance of an 11-member advisory council. Parliament is exercising the legislative powers of the provincial assembly during the emergency.

The interior minister also questioned the silence of some political leaders over the allocation of resources to the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), now part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He asked why they had not raised concerns when the former FATA districts were allegedly deprived of their due share of resources for several years.

Naqvi said the rights and resources of people in the former tribal districts should be prioritised over political interests.

Commenting on the security situation, he said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing serious challenges and urged political leaders to contribute to restoring peace and combating terrorism.

“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needs peace, stability and collective efforts, not political confrontation,” he said.