After the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial president Junaid Akbar has claimed the arrest of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and himself.
Junaid Akbar reported the arrest of the two leaders in a statement released on social media on Sunday. However, there was no official confirmation or denial of the arrests from the federal government.
This development came after President Asif Ali Zardari approved the emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The federal cabinet recommended this move in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, the powers of the Chief Minister, provincial cabinet and advisors have been transferred to the governor after the steps taken under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. An 11-member advisory council has also been formed to run the administrative affairs of the province.
The federal government has cited the poor law and order situation in the province and the alleged non-cooperation of the provincial government in counter-terrorism operations as the reason for this decision. On the other hand, the PTI has rejected the emergency and governor’s rule, calling it against provincial autonomy and democratic mandate.
This development has come at a time when the PTI is holding a protest march towards Islamabad demanding the release of Imran Khan. The current situation has further highlighted the political differences between the federal and provincial leadership.
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