PESHAWAR — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Khan Afridi has declared he will not retreat from his position despite mounting threats of governor’s rule or an emergency being imposed in the province, underscoring a deepening standoff between the provincial government and federal authorities.
Afridi Vows to Defend Public Mandate
Addressing a high-level meeting on law and order, Afridi said he would neither compromise his ideology nor accept any measure that contradicts the will and public mandate of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“I curse any chair that diverts me from my ideology,” the chief minister said, stressing that decisions taken against the province’s public mandate were unacceptable to him.
His remarks signal a firm refusal to bow to pressure from Islamabad, where senior federal officials have publicly raised the prospect of invoking constitutional provisions to take direct control of the province.
Rs35 Billion Shifted to Police Budget
Afridi defended his government’s record on security, revealing that Rs35 billion had been cut from the development budget and reallocated to the police force to strengthen security and maintain peace across the province.
The chief minister framed the decision as evidence of his administration’s commitment to tackling law-and-order challenges, which have long plagued Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Concern Over Excluded Stakeholders
Afridi expressed concern that some quarters were unwilling to listen to stakeholders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, despite the province’s sustained efforts to address its security difficulties.
The complaint reflects a broader grievance within the provincial government that its input is being sidelined in federal decision-making on matters directly affecting the region.
Federal Government Cites Constitutional Grounds
The chief minister’s defiant stance came after Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said the Constitution clearly lays down the procedure for imposing governor’s rule and declaring an emergency.
Speaking to journalists in Islamabad, Tarar said governor’s rule or an emergency could be imposed if constitutional conditions and circumstances warrant such action.
He stressed that any such step would have to be taken strictly within the framework provided by the Constitution.
Political Tensions Escalate
The exchange has sharpened political tensions between Peshawar and Islamabad, with the provincial leadership positioning itself as a defender of provincial autonomy and electoral legitimacy.
- Afridi has refused to back down despite threats of governor’s rule or emergency.
- Rs35 billion was redirected from development spending to police funding.
- Federal Law Minister Tarar insists any emergency step must follow constitutional procedure.
- The dispute centers on provincial mandate versus federal authority.
With both sides invoking constitutional and electoral arguments, the standoff is likely to shape the political landscape of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the weeks ahead.
