PESHAWAR: The leader of opposition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Dr Ibadullah, said treasury benches should talk to their leader if they really wanted to hand over the country to elected representatives.

He said that treasury benches had been talking about the role of the establishment in politics for the last three days at the provincial Assembly but their leader, referring to founder of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Imran Khan, wanted to hold talks only with the establishment.

“Establishment says they have no role in politics but your leader wants to talk to the them only. Who is dragging them into politics,” the opposition leader questioned during his speech at the provincial assembly session on Thursday held with Speaker Babar Saleem Swati in the chair.

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The PML-N lawmaker said that he condemned Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur’s September 8 speech against establishment, media personnel and political leaders as well as whisking away PTI lawmakers from the National Assembly premises.

Dr Ibadullah terms law and order most important issue of the province

The opposition leader said that politicians were not ready to give space to each other. He said that no general ever mistreated another general in talk show neither did any bureaucrat but the mess started within the political class.

Mr Ibadullah said that law and order was the most important issue in the province as protests were being held in Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur districts but no one from the treasury benches visited the areas and met the protesting police personnel neither was any statement issued by the government in that regard.

“My leader did not offer offices to those, who beheaded people and carried out explosions. You must have good relations with them, so talk to them,” he said in reference to Mr Gandapur’s statement for holding direct talks with the Afghan interim government.

He stated that it was PTI government when retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Faiz Hameed brought militants back to the province. He added that PTI should do politics but should first fulfil its obligations.

Earlier, Asif Mehsood from the treasury benches said that situation was going out of control and voices were being raised against the institutions working under the federal government. “Mahrang Baloch was mistreated and the entire Balochistan was shut down on one signal from her,” he said.

Samiullah said that under the law, institutions were a requirement for the country but they should work within their constitutional domain. “The establishment divides us for their own benefits and then rule.

Talks should be held with them and they should be told that this cannot happen anymore,“ he added.

Mian Umar from the treasury benches said that the house of a general was attacked dramatically and was condemned every day but opposition did not own it when the country’s most sacred place was attacked on September 10 which also had immunity.

“It is us today and it is your turn tomorrow if we don’t rebel against this system. If the chief minister can be pressurised, then no one is safe,” he said.

The provincial minister for higher education, Meena Khan, said that he was expecting that the opposition leader would name those against whom police in Lakki Marwat were protesting.

“Unfortunately, he did not and this is what we are talking about. Issues would be resolved once all the institutions fulfil their obligations within their constitutional domain,” he said.

He said that the provincial government expected that the opposition leader would talk to federal government about the arrears pending against it so that the law and order situation could be improved in the province.

The minister said that there was visible improvement in law and order during the PTI government. He said that people, who could not leave their homes, moved freely during in KP and campaigned during polls.

“The law and order situation changed after the regime change in 2022,” he said adding that the same police did not touch any politicians in 10 years during the PTI government in KP but they discouraged and were used politically after regime change. The sitting was later adjourned till 2pm today (Friday).

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2024