State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry on Saturday rebuked Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for reportedly seeking his “share” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s governance following the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in the province.
Addressing the media in Jaranwala, Chaudhry emphasised that the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule in KP was not a political move aimed at strengthening the PML-N’s presence in the province by dismissing the PTI-led government.
“This was an administrative setup,” he said, adding that it had been formed with a “one-point agenda: combating terrorism”.
“I am upset. We did not expect Maulana sahab […] to consider this as spoils of war and seek his share in the absence of a PTI government in the province,” Chaudhry said.
“This is not spoils of war,” he reiterated, adding that the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule in KP was an “immensely responsible” decision taken after every other option had been considered.
He said the federal government had no intention of establishing a political setup in KP.
“I am unable to understand why Maulana sahab says that he was forced to accept defeat [in elections],” he said, arguing that Fazl’s party had been defeated by the PTI in KP and the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party in Balochistan.
Chaudhry said the JUI-F was worthy of respect only if it stood by Pakistan’s interests.
The state minister also rejected the impression that the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule was aimed at taking control of KP’s natural resources.
He also criticised Fazl for bringing up the 1971 separation of East Pakistan — now Bangladesh — from Pakistan in his recent statements.
“You bring up 1971 after losing the 2024 elections,” Chaudhry said.
“This KP setup is not about distributing shares, forming coalitions and governments, or engaging in politics,” he stressed, clarifying that only one member of the KP Advisory Council has a political background, as she represents the families of martyrs.
Chaudhry again offered to implement the National Action Plan and combat terrorism jointly with all stakeholders. “Politics is possible only where there is peace,” he said.
At the outset of his address, Chaudhry reiterated that there must be “a relationship or a mutual interest arrangement between the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the PTI”.
“Since 2015, no PTI leader, gathering or member has been targeted by terrorists,” Chaudhry said. “On the other hand, over the past 11 years, no political or religious party, security force, public office, funeral or wedding has been spared terrorist attacks.”
He said the federal government had exhausted all avenues to bring together stakeholders and urge them to condemn terrorism by naming those involved, whether the TTP, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), or groups funded by India or Afghanistan.
The state minister claimed that in 2013, when the government decided to hold talks with the TTP and representatives were proposed by both sides, the TTP had nominated PTI founder Imran Khan to its committee.
He also alleged that the PTI founder had allowed the TTP to open offices in Peshawar.
During his address, Chaudhry also criticised the PTI, showing a press release issued by the TTP, that condemned the dismissal of the party’s government.
‘Extremely upset’
A day earlier, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had also said that a “head of a party” was “extremely upset” about not being appointed the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“The head of a party is extremely upset over being denied a role in the new setup in KP and not getting the governorship,” Naqvi alleged while speaking to journalists in Lahore.
He was seemingly referring to Fazl who has been critical of the federal government over the imposition of governor’s rule in KP.
This politician, Naqvi said, had remained “dependent on the establishment for decades to advance his political career”.
“These are the same politicians who remained in politics for decades with the support of the establishment, and this politician even relied on the establishment to arrange air tickets for the members of his party,” he further alleged.
He said such politicians had little justification for criticising others now, particularly after having benefitted from the same system they currently denounced.
Naqvi’s remarks came days after the Centre imposed governor’s rule and emergency in KP, citing the provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the fight against terrorism.
The move has drawn criticism from the opposition, including Fazl, as well as Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas of the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayin-i-Pakistan.
In the days preceding the imposition of governor’s rule in KP, political tensions between the Centre and the opposition — including the PTI which was in power in KP — had remained high since jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party announced a protest march to Islamabad to demand his release.
Intense negotiations between the two sides a week before the imposition of governor’s rule had failed to yield any results while Fazl was cast as the man who could defuse heightening tensions between the Centre and the PTI. Both sides had held separate meetings with Fazl, reportedly for his intervention to help break the deadlock in the negotiations.
And after the federal government imposed governor’s rule in KP, Fazl accused the Centre of reneging on its commitments amid his efforts for mediation.
On Thursday, Fazl again censured the Centre, accusing it of depriving the provinces of their rights. Addressing a rally in Multan, he further recalled that his party had expressed reservations over the merger of tribal areas into KP after the 25th Constitutional Amendment in 2018.
“We were not against the merger, but we said that it was an issue of the political future of the people of tribal areas,” he said, alleging that the people of those areas were not consulted on the merger.
Raising doubts over the Centre’s reasoning behind imposing governor’s rule that there was a lack of cooperation on counterterrorism, he said the security situation in Balochistan was worse than it was in KP.
He alleged governor’s rule was not imposed in Balochistan because the province’s chief minister “praises you”.
Naqvi further said KP was facing serious security challenges, and called on political leaders to play a constructive role in restoring peace and combating terrorism.
“Instead of fanning the flames and creating unrest, political leaders should play their role in restoring law and order and eliminating terrorism,” he said, maintaining that the province needed peace, stability and collective efforts rather than political confrontation.
Separately, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz railed against Fazl in a post on X.
She said it was not expected of a senior politician such as him to support those who facilitate terrorism — an apparent reference to the PTI, which the Centre accuses of backing terrorism.
She added it was unfortunate that he was supporting the party instead of “holding those accountable who were responsible for the ruin of KP because of their incompetence, ineptitude and corruption”.
She also criticised Fazl for his remarks about Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, seemingly referring to his comments during the Multan address about the centralisation of power.
She concluded her statement by saying that no one but the PTI was “responsible for the end of its government in KP”.
The post Minister rebukes JUI-F chief for seeking ‘share’ in KP governance after imposition of governor’s rule, emergency appeared first on Dawn – Home.
