ISLAMABAD: Senator Faisal Vawda on Tuesday declared that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had fallen apart and its political show was over, urging the party’s leaders to form a new political party or join another party to serve the country.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Vawda criticised the PTI-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and discussed the recent political developments surrounding the province, including the imposition of Governor’s Rule and an emergency.
“PTI has now scattered, and the show is over,” Vawda said, urging party leaders to fulfil their responsibilities by joining other political platforms or forming a new party.
He acknowledged that not everyone in the PTI was at fault, saying the party also had patriotic people who could contribute to the country.
Vawda alleged that the arrests of PTI leaders were part of a coordinated arrangement following the emergency.
New KP Setup Under Review
Commenting on the political situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Vawda said the province was witnessing the first phase of a new political arrangement, adding that further changes could follow if the new setup failed to deliver.
He said the performance of the new arrangement would be reviewed over the next 60 to 80 days, warning that better-performing individuals could be brought in if the current team failed to meet expectations.
“There is no guarantee that people will remain in their positions,” he said.
Read Also: PTI to challenge KP emergency and governor’s rule in Peshawar High Court
Vawda also warned KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi that the 180-day target associated with the new arrangement must be taken seriously, saying there would be no room for failure.
He added that the new setup would be judged on its performance and that further measures would depend on the results achieved.
Notably, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed an 11-member committee headed by his deputy Ishaq Dar to oversee the affairs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Vawda Defends Fazlur Rehman
The senator rejected claims that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had deceived KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi by inviting him to the Chief Minister’s House before his arrest.
Vawda also issued a strong warning against anyone refusing to uphold Pakistan’s national flag or national anthem.
PTI Calls Governor’s Rule Unconstitutional
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar on Tuesday termed the imposition of Governor’s Rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa unconstitutional and illegal.
The development comes amid heightened political tensions following President Asif Ali Zardari’s approval of the measures on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.