News Analysis

Beleaguered boys of PTI led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur set new precedents on Sunday, September 8, in their Islamabad rally. They verbally attacked all institutions of national power, including media, and threatened to create anarchy if their party was not facilitated to get into power and the criminal cases against Imran Khan and others were not withdrawn.

The next day when the journalists protested against the chief minister’s verbal assaults, the new PTI leadership led by Chairman Barrister Gohar and Omar Ayub tendered an unconditional apology to journalists over his remarks. However, hours after this apology, Imran, the incarcerated PTI leader, expressed full support to the abusive, abrasive, obnoxious and irresponsible attitude of the chief minister, and declared Omar Ayub and Barrister Gohar as cowards, saying there should be no place for them in his party. When the pressure further mounted, Imran Khan, known for his flip flops, made a mild criticism on Gandapur only related to his attacks on media, but supported him on other counts.

Amid this scenario, the PTI MNAs were hauled up from the vicinity of the parliament with some reportedly picked up from its premises.

Appeasement of the terrorists is part of the bone marrow of Imran Khan’s PTI, who genuinely earned the title of Taliban Khan.

While the police and other law enforcement agencies deny arresting PTI MNAs from the premises of the parliament, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has taken a strong exception to the incident after a protest not only from the PTI but also from the treasury benches, especially the PPP. While the speaker is conducting an inquiry, has suspended some of the National Assembly security staff, and reprimanded Islamabad Police and the local administration, the ripple effects of these arrests are still reverberating.

Also read: Address The Bullies Before They Become Frankensteins

As this was happening, a new drama of the disappearance and incommunicado of Gandapur in Islamabad unfolded. The reports suggested that the chief minister was called in Islamabad for a meeting and given a tough window dressing after his verbal attacks. For good eight-nine hours, he was in an information black hole. After his reappearance, he spoke in Peshawar where he not only threatened the federal government but also intimidated the security establishment. This time around, he put the entire blame of the deteriorating security situation in the province on the military establishment and unilaterally vowed to engage Afghan Taliban to address the problem in his province.

The only purpose of this bravado seems to pressurize the security establishment and the federal government to seek favors to spare Imran Khan from the possible military trial and conviction in 190-million-pound kickback case. Given the hostile attitude of his party, there is no chance that the establishment and the federal government will buckle in. The talks with Afghan Taliban by a provincial government is seen as a red rag and already blasted by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif. Even in most confederal states, the foreign relations remain a central government domain. No federal republic has surrendered foreign affairs to any federating unit ever.

Negotiating with a hostile foreign power that provides safe sanctuaries as well as operational and logistical support to the terrorists killing our soldiers and civilians is an outright declaration of war against the federal government.

Negotiating with a hostile foreign power that provides safe sanctuaries as well as operational and logistical support to the terrorists killing our soldiers and civilians is an outright declaration of war against the federal government. Appeasement of the terrorists is part of the bone marrow of Imran Khan’s PTI, who genuinely earned the title of Taliban Khan. The terrorism spike is clearly visible after the concessions given to the TTP as a result of the negotiations conducted under Imran-Faiz nexus, rehabilitating thousands of terrorists and release of hundreds of others along with financial compensation. The hostile interim government of Afghan Taliban has recently conducted attacks on Pakistani military checkpoints posts as well.

Also read: Afghan Taliban, Al Qaeda Asked For FATA Revival. Imran Said Yes

Given the grave security situation, any negotiations by a weak and vulnerable provincial government with an aggressive and hostile foreign power and a terrorist outfit supported by it will only embolden the terrorists and will be tantamount to surrendering territory to them. The past experience of negotiations by the Pakistani state too has clearly proved that it has only helped the terrorists. The fundamental motive behind the negotiations with terrorists at this point seems more of a new pressure tactic by Imran Khan to get relief in the possible military trial and 190-million-pound case.

While Governor’s rule in the province can’t be ruled out due to the security situation getting out of the provincial administration’s control, its period with two extensions can’t be extended beyond six months under the constitutional scheme after the 18th Amendment.

The biggest problem, however, will remain the isolation of the federal authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as no political party in the province currently supports them. The federal authorities need to engage with other parties including the ANP, PTM and JUI-F besides strengthening the provincial administrative setup. Defeating terrorists and taking the winds out of the sails of the overaggressive PTI won’t be possible without ending this isolation, the federal authorities face today in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.