AS the Opposition was trying to portray the imposition of the Governor’s rule and emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as an unconstitutional move, the parliament, on Wednesday, endorsed the decision, giving it constitutional cover and legitimacy. The two houses of the parliament separately approved resolutions for the purpose amid intense protests by the Opposition.
The proclamation of emergency was issued by President Asif Ali Zardari on recommendations of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and as per relevant constitutional provisions, the proclamation was required to be placed before the National Assembly and Senate separately for approval within 10 days of the president’s orders. During the debate, the Opposition members apparently could not make any convincing argument against imposition of the Governor’s rule, except condemning the move and describing it as politically motivated. However, the cabinet members and the treasury benches categorically stated that the extreme measures were taken after failure of the Sohail Afridi-led Government to extend cooperation in the war against terror. The viewpoint of the treasury benches was summed up by Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, who said the measure was unpleasant but had to be taken due to non-cooperation of the provincial government against terrorism. Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, in his speech, mostly confined himself to the mantra of ‘rigging’ in the last general election, alleging that the government was powerless and decisions were being taken elsewhere. However, his call on all political parties to pledge that Parliament would be all-powerful deserves serious attention, but he needs to convince his allies first to attach due importance to the elected houses. Importantly, speaking in the house, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari renewed his call for dialogue with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), saying he would personally request Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to end the emergency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa if political conditions were created that made the measure unnecessary. The offer is worth consideration by the Opposition if it is really interested in rapprochement.