PESHAWAR: Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), an alliance of six opposition parties, on Friday approached the Peshawar High Court (PHC), challenging the imposition of Governor’s Rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), as well as the suspension of the provincial government.
The petition, filed through Advocate Muazzam Butt, seeks to have the measures declared unconstitutional and set aside. The alliance has also requested the court to schedule an early hearing.
The petition contends that imposing Governor’s Rule and an emergency despite the presence of an elected provincial government violates the Constitution.
It argues that the measures contravene Articles 1, 2A, 4, 9, 10, 10A, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 19A, 25, 130, 175(3), 232, 234 and 245 of the Constitution, and urges the court to declare the action null and void.
TTAP Leaders Condemn Suspension of KP Government
Meanwhile, TTAP leaders expressed solidarity with the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and condemned the removal of the provincial government.
Speaking at a gathering, TTAP vice-chairman and Sindh United Party chief Syed Zain Shah criticised the imposition of Governor’s Rule and the emergency, describing the measures as an unjustified move against an elected government.
Parliament approves two-month Governor’s Rule, emergency in KP
“We have come here today to condemn the wrongful actions taken to remove the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the abduction of the chief minister,” Shah said.
He alleged that the ruling federal government had come to power through rigged elections and had taken control of the country’s wealth.
Shah said the alliance would stand with the people of KP against what he described as injustices arising from the removal of the elected provincial government and the imposition of emergency rule.
He noted that the dismissal of elected provincial governments was not unprecedented, recalling that elected administrations in Balochistan and the then North-West Frontier Province were removed in the period during the adoption of the 1973 Constitution.
Shah also criticised the state of the country’s political system and called for an end to restrictions on political parties.
He demanded the release of all political prisoners, including Imran Khan and Ali Wazir.
National Assembly Endorses Emergency in KP
Earlier, the National Assembly endorsed the imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the associated measures through a majority vote on Wednesday.