Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has alleged that several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) figures have links with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying the government will present evidence at an appropriate time.
Speaking during a Senate session, Naqvi defended the federal government’s decision to impose governor’s rule or emergency measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, arguing that the move was taken in accordance with the Constitution.
He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had examined the relevant constitutional provisions and found no violation. He challenged critics to identify any constitutional clause the government had breached.
Naqvi said the option of imposing governor’s rule or an emergency had been available since November 26 and even earlier, but the government had initially pursued dialogue with PTI leaders.
He claimed that the government contacted PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on October 10 to discuss proposed amendments to Paragraph 4, but negotiations ultimately failed.
The interior minister also criticised the provincial government over its response to terrorism, saying police officers and security personnel were sacrificing their lives while provincial leaders were criticising them.
Naqvi said negotiations in parliament had focused on ending terrorism. He claimed that former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser had assured him of PTI’s support for the fight against terrorism, but disagreements over a proposed draft and its subsequent circulation to other individuals derailed the process.
Defending the government’s decision, Naqvi said imposing governor’s rule or an emergency had not been an easy step. He also claimed that around 80 per cent of those involved in the current wave of terrorism were coming from Afghanistan.
The minister did not present publicly verifiable evidence for his allegations against PTI figures during the remarks cited here. His claims regarding alleged links with the banned TTP could not be independently verified.
