Interior Minister Accuses Unnamed Party Chief of Seeking KP Governorship

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday that the head of a political party was deeply upset over not being appointed governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and being excluded from the governor’s rule setup. He did not name the politician but appeared to refer to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Naqvi claimed the leader had relied on the establishment for decades to advance his political career, including having air tickets for his party arranged by the establishment.

“Such was his situation that even the air tickets for his political party were arranged by the establishment.”

The minister said such politicians had little justification for criticising others after benefiting from the same system they now denounce. He urged political leaders to express differences through arguments and facts rather than indecent language and accusations.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa moved to governor’s rule and emergency last Sunday after President Asif Ali Zardari signed the summary on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi will run provincial government functions for as long as the emergency lasts, assisted by an 11-member advisory council.

Naqvi also questioned why some political leaders had recently raised concerns about resources for former FATA districts while remaining silent for several years when those districts did not receive their due share.