ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan responds to KP emergency, calling it an ‘undemocratic move’ and serious political mistake, warns of further political and economic damage
Barrister Gohar issued stern warning to the federal government over the imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, demanding an immediate reversal of the decision and cautioning that failure to do so could inflict serious political and economic damage on the country.
Strongly rejecting the move, Barrister Gohar called emergency an “extremely alarming and serious political mistake” and undemocratic step, saying that the people of KP would never accept measures that undermine their constitutional rights and elected mandate.
PTI chairman said the decision to impose emergency in the province was unacceptable and risked deepening tensions between the federal government and the provincial administration. He warned that disregarding the public mandate, weakening provincial autonomy and triggering a confrontation between the federation and the province would neither restore peace nor bring stability to the region.
Addressing the security situation in KP, Barrister Gohar said there was no disagreement over the need to eliminate terrorism, but counterterrorism efforts could not be used to suppress public voices, advance political interests or curtail the province’s constitutional powers. He stressed that defeating terrorism required national unity, coordination and a shared strategy rather than extraordinary political measures that could widen divisions.
PTI chairman argued that weakening the provinces would not strengthen the federation, insisting that the country’s challenges could only be addressed through political wisdom, constitutional supremacy, meaningful dialogue and practical measures.
His remarks came amid a major political confrontation over the federal government’s decision to impose emergency in the PTI-governed province.
Barrister Gohar pledged that his party would raise its voice at every constitutional, legal and democratic forum to protect the public mandate, provincial autonomy and democratic rights. “Strong provinces are the foundation of a strong federation, and the rule of the Constitution is the guarantee of a strong Pakistan,” he said.
He urged the federal government to set aside its ego, acknowledge ground realities, accept legitimate demands and respect the sentiments of the people before the situation deteriorated further.
He said the decision could still be withdrawn within a few days, urging authorities to reconsider the move in the national interest. He warned that allowing the confrontation to continue could cause further political and economic losses while pushing the democratic process backwards.
“Reconsidering political decisions is not a sign of weakness but a demonstration of wisdom in the national interest. Otherwise, there will be serious consequences,” Barrister Gohar warned.
