ON 19 November 2024, a late-night cowardly and deplorable attack on an army check post in Mali Khel, District Bannu, resulted in the brutal killing of several soldiers from our security forces. This heinous act clearly demonstrated that the assailants had nothing to do with Islam, Islamic teachings, the Constitution and laws of Pakistan, or the security and safety of the nation and its people. There is not an iota of doubt that these sons of the soil attained the highest place in Paradise, sacrificing their lives and leaving their families in grief, creating a sombre atmosphere in the region.
Unfortunately, the CM KP Ali Amin Gandapur and his cabinet ministers did not bother to attend the funeral ceremony of the martyrs. It is worth to mention that among other martyrs, Jawan Aman Ullah Shaheed, Jawan Hasseb Ullah Shaheed and Jawan Usman Ullah Shaheed were from District Karak and Jawan Shah Zaman Shaheed was from Lower Dir. None of the PTI leadership uttered a single word of condolence on their sacrifices. In such a situation, how they can claim to be the real representatives of the people of KP?
Ironically, the current wave of militancy and unabated brutal attacks on civilians and security forces are due to the flawed policy of the then PTI-led federal government that brought these terrorists back and settled in various parts of KP with more sophisticated weapons left over by the American forces. The priority of KP Government is to protest and divert the attention of common people from fundamental issues like looming security treats, patrolling of non-state actors in various parts of the southern region of KP, ransom cases, extortion and killing of civilians and personnel of the security forces. In addition, the Southern PTI leadership shed only political tears and show cosmetic sympathy with its electors. KP Government awfully ignored these issues across the province.
The KP Government followed an irresponsible and unconstitutional approach to address the problems of the people of KP. It has followed policy of confrontation with federal government. Such policies will entail grave corollaries for this province and its people. First, the cancer of militancy will engulf other parts of the province as well. Even the political leaders and their families and other government functionaries will be unsafe. Second, the people of KP are exhausted with the futile periodic protests of the KP Government. Third, Bushra Bibi is not the representative of the people of KP who is currently acting as de facto chief executive of the province. She had no moral, legal and constitutional status to be here in KP and living on the taxes of the poor people of KP.
Being among Pakhtoons, she is also silent on their daily killings. On the other side, she exploits the sentiments of Pakhtoons for political motives and incites them for protests and civil war against the federal government. Tomorrow she will deny such unlawful actions on her part. Her role will erode the confidence of local people on PTI and will affect its electoral base. Fourth, Imran Khan, his sisters and Bushra Bibi have nothing to do with security issues of the people of KP because neither the children of IK nor his sisters nor of Bushra Bibi suffer from the ongoing wave of militancy. Fifth, CM Ali Amin needs to relinquish security protocols so as to know the miseries of the common men and personnel of the security forces. Likewise, the ministers and other members of the KP Provincial Assembly and Parliament should also refuse to enjoy security protocols for themselves and their families so as to know the same.
The time has come for political leadership to abandon their dream world and adopt a realistic approach to address the existential security threats posed by the Khawarij. If the KP Government continues with its ultra-constitutional and non-political stance, the Federal Government will have no choice but to resort to the following constitutional measures:
First, the Federal Government may declare a state of emergency under Article 232 of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, which states: “If the President is satisfied that a grave emergency exists in which the security of Pakistan, or any part thereof, is threatened by war, external aggression, or internal disturbance beyond the power of a Provincial Government to control, he may issue a Proclamation of Emergency.” Additionally, Articles 233 and 234 are also available as constitutional recourse. Second, the Federal Government, in collaboration with the provincial government, must abandon its “wait-and-see” policy, which costs the lives of the people of KP and members of our security forces. A full-fledged military operation against the Khawarij and those obstructing it must be launched. Third, the KP Government will bear responsibility for any resulting political and constitutional crises. Fourth, the people of KP stand firmly with their forces, as they can no longer endure the bloodshed of their loved ones. Finally, the political and military leadership must undertake a comprehensive and indiscriminate operation against all miscreants and terrorists nationwide.
—The writer is Chairman, Department of Political Science, Islamia College Peshawar.
(amir@icp.edu.pk)
