"Pakistan belongs to its people, not its military": Kasim Khan slams emergency rule in KP
Kasim Khan condemns the imposition of emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accusing the military of sacrificing lives to cling to power.
In a scathing condemnation of the recent political developments in Pakistan, Kasim Khan, the son of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has lashed out against the federal government's decision to impose a state of emergency and governor's rule in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Speaking out against the move, Kasim asserted that "Pakistan belongs to its people, not its military," signaling a deepening rift between the political opposition and the current establishment.
Accusations of Military Overreach
The former Prime Minister's son used social media to describe the federal government's actions as a desperate attempt to maintain control. He specifically targeted Army Chief Asim Munir, accusing the military leadership of using the pretext of terrorism to justify new military operations in Pashtun territories. According to Kasim, the regime is attempting to secure its grip on power by sacrificing lives in regions that have already seen significant instability.
"Having failed to secure Balochistan or Azad Kashmir, Munir once again invokes terrorism to justify another military operation in Pashtun lands," Kasim wrote in a post on X, linking the current crackdown to a broader pattern of governance failures.
Demands for Democratic Restoration
As political unrest grows, Kasim Khan has issued a series of urgent demands to the federal government, including:
- The immediate reversal of emergency measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- The restoration of the democratic mandate within the province.
- The immediate release of Imran Khan and all other political prisoners.
- Respect for the citizens' right to protest.
The Crackdown in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The imposition of emergency rule was authorized under Articles 232 and 234 of the Pakistani Constitution, following recommendations from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s federal cabinet. This move effectively strips the PTI-led provincial government of its authority, centralizing control under federal officials. Islamabad has justified the intervention by citing a "deliberate indifference" by the provincial administration in the fight against terrorism and a breakdown in negotiations with government delegations.
The administrative takeover has been accompanied by a significant security crackdown across the province. Reports indicate that:
- KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was taken into custody during a PTI long march.
- Mobile network and data services have been throttled or shut down in various urban areas.
- Heavy police presence and shipping container barricades have been deployed around key access routes, particularly in Peshawar.
- New administrative leadership has been installed, including Dr. Muhammad Fakhr Alam Irfan as the new KP chief secretary.
A Historic Political Boiling Point
This development marks a critical turning point in the friction between the PML-N-led central government and the PTI-led administration in KP. The tension is rooted in deep-seated disagreements over counterterrorism strategies and the management of security policies. While the federal setup points to a deteriorating security climate, the PTI maintains that they are being unilaterally excluded from essential security decision-making processes.