LAHORE: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday claimed that the head of a political party was upset over not receiving a share in the new administrative setup in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), including the governorship, following the imposition of Governor’s Rule.
Speaking informally to journalists in Lahore, Naqvi claimed the politician had remained dependent on the establishment for decades but was now criticising it.
“He is upset over not getting a share in Governor’s Rule or the governorship,” the interior minister said, without naming the political party chief.
Naqvi alleged that the politician had relied on the establishment throughout his political career, claiming that even the air tickets for his party’s political activities had previously been arranged through the establishment.
“Such politicians are not justified in pointing fingers at others today,” he said, adding that political differences should be discussed through arguments and facts rather than allegations.
The minister also questioned the concerns expressed by some political leaders over the resources of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), asking why they had remained silent when the region was denied its due share for years.
He said the rights and resources of the merged districts should be treated as an issue above political interests.
KP Needs Stability, Not Political Confrontation: Naqvi
Naqvi said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing serious security challenges and urged political leaders to play a constructive role in restoring peace and order.
He called on political leaders to help eliminate terrorism instead of fuelling tensions and spreading political discord.
“The province needs peace and stability, not political confrontation,” he said.
Fazlur Rahman Criticises KP Emergency
Naqvi’s remarks came amid strong opposition from Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman to the imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Addressing the Mufti Mahmood Conference in Multan, Fazl alleged that the emergency had been used to transfer control of the former tribal districts’ resources to the federal government.
“The resources of FATA had become part of the province, but by imposing an emergency, you have handed them over to the federation,” he said.
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He described the move as an attempt to take control of the region’s mineral resources and accused the authorities of making deals with the United States at the expense of local resources.
“Remember, we will no longer accept this kind of politics,” Fazl said, adding that China and Russia also had reservations about the developments. He further alleged that foreign powers were being brought into the region.
The JUI-F chief also warned against the concentration of powers in the hands of a single powerful authority, arguing that the accumulation of excessive powers could eventually overwhelm those exercising them.