KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi. Photo: Archive
ISLAMABAD:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s political landscape remained unsettled on Sunday as rumors of a possible governor’s government intensified, prompting denials from both the Prime Minister’s Office and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.
Sources familiar with the political scenario said the idea of imposing governor’s rule has been being examined in Islamabad, with the government initially preferring to retain Governor Faisal Karim Kundi if a consensus is reached within the ruling coalition.
According to these sources, alternative names were being considered only as contingency options. They said three political figures, Amir Haider Hoti, Pervez Khattak and Aftab Sherpao, would be named in case no agreement emerged on Kundi’s continuation.
They added that if the political candidates also fail to reach a consensus, the government could consider retired military officers, including Lt. Gen. (retd.) Khalid Rabbani, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Ghayur Mehmood and Lt. Gen. (retd.) Tariq Khan.
The speculation gained further traction when Minister of State for Law and Justice, lawyer Aqeel Malik, told a private news channel that the governor’s rule in KP was being “seriously considered”, linking the possible move to “security and governance issues” in the province.
Malik alleged that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and his team had “failed miserably to bring about any kind of workable situation”, adding: “They also do not want to have any kind of coordination or cohesion with the Centre, nor do they take any action in areas where it was necessary.”
Asked if the government had finalized its decision, Malik said the president had authority on the advice of the prime minister under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. Responding to another question, he said a governor’s recommendation could also be an option.
Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office, however, insisted Sunday that no decision had been made and no formal proposal was being reviewed, dismissing talk of the governor’s rule as mere speculation.
They noted that the Prime Minister had recently expressed confidence in Governor Kundi during a meeting that covered administrative matters and the province’s participation in the upcoming National Finance Commission Award.
Despite the avalanche of reports, Kundi maintained that he had not been consulted about such a move. He said he had only heard the claims through the media and stressed that he had not received any official communication about any change in his position or the imposition of the governor’s rule.
“If the media is going to name the governor, God help us,” he commented to reporters. He added that he would accept whatever decision his party, the Pakistan People’s Party, finally makes.
Kundi reiterated that the Constitution contains a provision on the governor’s rule, but stressed that he had not had any conversation with him on the matter. He warned that KP’s fragile security environment left little room for political unrest.
Meanwhile, reports of a possible change continued to circulate, with political sources suggesting that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s rigid stance towards federal institutions had contributed to internal discussions.
These claims were not verified and were not acknowledged by the Prime Minister’s Office, which continued to state that no formal review was taking place. Political commentators described the moment as a major test for federal-provincial relations.
(WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OUR PESHAWAR CORRESPONDENT)
