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qam Defends Governor’s Rule as Necessary for KP Peace | META: Amir Muqam has defended the governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as necessary to restore peace, vowing accountability for PTI’s 13-year rule. | IMG: | CREDIT: –>
Amir Muqam Says Governor’s Rule Was Necessary to Restore Peace in KP
Amir Muqam has defended the governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a necessary step to restore peace, telling a press conference in Peshawar that the federal government and the province were now “on the same page” after the emergency proclamation.
The federal minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, who also heads the PML-N in KP, addressed the media at the Peshawar Press Club on Monday evening. He pledged accountability for alleged corruption and misuse of public resources during the PTI’s 13 years in power in the province.
What Amir Muqam said about the emergency
Muqam said the emergency and governor’s rule, imposed under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution and approved by President Asif Ali Zardari on the prime minister’s advice on Oct 11, had put the federation and the province on the same footing.
He claimed the 13-year period of PTI rule in KP had been marked by unemployment, terrorism and the wastage of public resources. Public funds, he alleged, had been used for political rallies and demonstrations and to pursue political objectives, including attempts to confront the federal government. He called for those accused of corruption and misuse of public money to be held accountable.
On security, the minister said counterterrorism operations would now be pursued “more openly and effectively”. He also alleged that the previous provincial administration had failed to give adequate attention to governance while focusing on political gatherings and protests.
A striking claim about public reaction
Muqam made a claim that will be contested: that the PTI government’s departure had not triggered widespread protests across the province. Instead, he alleged, people in some areas celebrated the end of its rule by distributing sweets and dancing.
That is his allegation, and it sits uneasily beside the province’s tense reality — police crackdowns, protest calls, and the detention of former chief minister Sohail Afridi. Readers should treat it as a political claim, not an established fact.
He also addressed a daily hardship: the shipping containers blocking Peshawar’s roads. The government, he said, was aware of commuters’ difficulties and the containers would be removed “within a day or two”.
The U-turn: from “not a good decision” to “necessary”
The most telling part of Monday’s press conference was not what Muqam said about the PTI, but how far his own position has travelled in a week.
On Oct 5, Muqam publicly opposed governor’s rule, saying it was “not a good decision” politically. On Oct 11, after the emergency was imposed, he welcomed it as a step towards restoring peace, and on Oct 12 he was in Peshawar calling it necessary.
That is a documented reversal within seven days — from opposition, to endorsement, to advocacy. It captures how quickly the federal government’s own ranks have adjusted to a move that Ishaq Dar defended as targeting terrorism, not politics, and that the 11-member advisory board under Dar is now administering.
Where the emergency stands now
The governor’s rule has already drawn its first parliamentary challenge, with the JUI-F moving a Senate resolution questioning the emergency under Article 232, while the PPP has called for constitutional compliance. A petition against the emergency is also before the Peshawar High Court.
Meanwhile, Governor Kundi and Interior Minister Naqvi have chaired the KP apex committee, putting security before development as the province’s new administration takes shape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Amir Muqam?
Amir Muqam is the federal minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan and the president of the PML-N in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
What did he say about governor’s rule in KP?
He said the governor’s rule was necessary to restore peace, that the federal government and KP were now on the same page, and that counterterrorism operations would be pursued more openly and effectively.
Did Muqam always support governor’s rule?
No. On Oct 5 he said governor’s rule was “not a good decision” politically. He welcomed it on Oct 11 after it was imposed, and defended it as necessary at his Oct 12 press conference.
What happens next in KP?
The 11-member advisory board under Ishaq Dar is overseeing provincial affairs, while legal and parliamentary challenges to the emergency continue.
