In view of the political and security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, consultations at the federal level have intensified. The meeting held at the Prime Minister House under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed law and order, the long march of the PTI and constitutional matters.
Federal ministers and important officials attended the meeting. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi briefed on the security situation in the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The meeting also discussed the possible effects of political tension and various ways to deal with the current situation.
According to sources, the reference to Articles 233 and 234 of the Constitution on the issue of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was also discussed. Opinions were sought from the authorities on the legal and constitutional aspects related to these provisions. However, no final constitutional action was announced after the meeting.
Government circles have expressed concern over the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Federal ministers are of the view that the provincial government should effectively cooperate with federal institutions against terrorism. On the other hand, the provincial government rejects these allegations of the federation.
A significant development in the political situation is the announcement of the PTI to hold a long march towards Islamabad on October 4. Party Chairman Barrister Gauhar has termed the march as a political and democratic right and said that the protest programme is intact.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is also firm on his stand on the issue of the long march. According to him, the march will start from Peshawar and will go towards Swabi in the first phase.
On the other hand, there have been calls from within the party to postpone the march. PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai wrote a letter to the party leadership requesting to postpone the long march in view of the current situation.
The differences between the federation and the province are no longer limited to political rhetoric. The security situation, constitutional powers and protest politics have become different aspects of the same issue. In such a situation, political meetings and consultations to be held in the next few days can play an important role in clarifying the direction of the situation.
We welcome your contributions to The Pakistan Today. Submit your blogs, articles, press releases, news story pitches and news features to our editorial team.
Please send your submissions to our News Desk or Editorial team. We look forward to hearing from writers, journalists and contributors.
