Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has opposed the imposition of governor’s rule or an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying that governor’s rule is effectively in place in the province and only a formal announcement remains.

The possible imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was discussed at a meeting chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari at the Presidency. Following this development, the prime minister has called a federal cabinet meeting for Sunday morning.

After meeting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and attending a meeting of the PTI’s top leadership, Barrister Gohar spoke to journalists in Peshawar.

He maintained that federal-level interference had weakened the provincial government’s authority and administrative control. He said that, alongside the implementation of the National Action Plan to tackle terrorism, the involvement of political parties was also essential.

Barrister Gohar said there was no disagreement over the need for action against terrorism; the real issue was the strategy being adopted. He said consensus could have been developed through political dialogue. He warned that attempts to resolve the issue through governor’s rule or an emergency could prove harmful and have consequences at both the provincial and federal levels.

He proposed activating the federal or provincial apex committee before taking extraordinary administrative measures in the province. He said all relevant stakeholders should be brought to the table to find an acceptable solution. According to him, involving political parties in the strategy against terrorism could also help build public trust.

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The PTI chairman described the current political tensions as alarming for the country’s politics. He alleged that similar interference was not taking place in other provinces, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing this situation because of the PTI’s electoral success.

Barrister Gohar urged political leaders to resolve their differences through understanding rather than stubbornness. He said decisions that could further intensify political confrontation should be avoided, adding that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was already facing difficulties and could not bear the burden of further experiments.

He said three provincial ministers, along with nine members of the provincial assembly and eight members of the National Assembly, had been forcibly taken away or their whereabouts were unknown.

Barrister Gohar also expressed concern over the detention of Imran Khan’s sisters and cousin. He demanded an end to the restrictions on meetings with Imran Khan, which he said had been in place for the past year. He added that restoring the meetings could help ease the current tensions.

He said the PTI had launched a long march to secure approval of six demands, all of which, according to the party, were within the framework of the Constitution and the law.