THE sitting chief minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), unlike any other CM in national history, has the unique disti-nction of disappearing from the scene while in office, leaving the people of his province, the administration and the federal government bewildered, specu-lating about his whereabouts.

The mystery surrounding his latest disappearance fuelled a flurry of consp-iracy theories, suspicions and doubts. After being incommunicado for over 24 hours, he reappeared in the provincial assembly, delivering a fiery speech.

Moreover, the story that the CM narrated about his disappearance was akin to some Hollywood adventure movie, where the hero outwits an entire force of various law-enforcement agencies.

The fact is that the situation reflects deeper tensions between federal and provincial dynamics in Pakistan. The situation raises fundamental questions about governance, constitutional rights, and the balance of power between the centre and the provinces.

In fact, the vanishing act, and the way it was handled, together paint an unsettling picture of a breakdown in communication and trust between the provincial gover-nment and the federation.

No doubt, the conspiracy theories and speculations around the disappearance demonstrate the fragility of public trust in institutions.

In times when transparency is crucial, lack of clarity only deepens mistrust. This is what is happening in Pakistan these days. The situation underscores the prevailing fragility of the system in which power struggles take precedence over governance.

Qamar Bashir
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2024