Rumours about imposing governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been doing the rounds for months. They first surfaced last year when Ali Amin Gandapur was the PTI chief minister there. Now, with Sohail Afridi taking over as the new CM, the whispers have returned. Only this time, the difference is that some names are reportedly also being ‘considered’. Apart from Governor KP Faisal Karim Kundi, the list doing the rounds features former chief ministers Amir Haider Khan Hoti and Pervez Khattak, former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and even two retired generals. Responding to reports about his ‘proposed’ replacement, Governor Kundi has maintained that he has no information and will accept whatever decision the PPP makes. But the signals coming from Islamabad are less ambiguous. State Minister for Law Aqeel Malik has said the federal government is “seriously pondering” governor’s rule, citing poor governance, terrorism and the border situation with Afghanistan. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has gone a step further, alleging that illegal Afghan nationals are being given protection in KP, adding: “No province can run its own policy on matters of national security – we will not allow it”.
When government officials begin talking openly about governor’s rule – and when potential names for a caretaker dispensation begin circulating – it usually means one of two things: either this will be done, or it is being used as a pressure tactic to force the PTI government in KP to fall in line. Senior PML-N leaders insist theirs is a political government that does not want to take such an extreme step and that CM Afridi should focus on governance, law and order rather than confrontation. But the very fact that Governor Raj is being discussed at all is destabilising in itself. While the constitution does allow governor’s rule for a period of two months, the political fallout of ousting a democratically elected provincial government, especially in a region already vulnerable due to terrorism and centre–province tensions, would be immense. Only KP voters should decide whether they are satisfied or disillusioned with the PTI’s third term. Some have pointed to the recent by-election in Haripur, where the PML-N wrested a traditional PTI and Ayub family stronghold, as evidence that voters prefer delivery over political shenanigans.
In any case, if Governor Raj is imposed, it is the PTI that will benefit the most since this is sure to instantly turn the party into a ‘victim’, giving it yet another grievance narrative to deploy nationwide. More dangerously, such a move risks igniting a new cycle of political turmoil at a moment when Pakistan can least afford it. The country is already struggling on multiple fronts: an economy under strain, a persistent terrorism threat in KP and Balochistan and two hot borders with hostile neighbours in India and Afghanistan. Could the government’s tough talk merely be a threat aimed at pushing Afridi to finally start governing? Though it could very well be that this current setup is so utterly blind to optics that it would make this mistake without caring about the consequences. A word to the KP government too: do fix relations with the centre, particularly on national security, and focus on governance. That said, even if constitutionally permissible, imposing Governor Raj is unwarranted, unwise and should be avoided under all circumstances.
