Saturday 17 Oct, 2026
Metro53 - Gujrat (Web Desk): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Punjab Provincial Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that an emergency was imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because of what he described as the provincial government’s stubborn attitude.
Speaking to the media in Gujrat, Rafique said there was a difference between the events of October 12 and the emergency imposed on October 11.
He stated that democracy had been overthrown on October 12, while the October 11 emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was, in his view, a consequence of the provincial government’s refusal to cooperate.
“Pashtuns, Sindhis and Baloch are all our brothers. We are not against anyone,” Rafique said, adding that he believed in democracy and that democratic principles did not favour governor’s rule or an emergency.
The provincial minister alleged that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had not been cooperating with the federal government on the issue of terrorism. He said governor’s rule and the emergency were imposed to prevent confrontation and protect human lives.
Rafique further claimed that the federal government had been left with no choice but to take these measures because of the provincial government’s conduct.
His remarks come amid political tensions over the federal government’s approach to security and governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
