PESHAWAR, Oct 12 (APP):The life in Peshawar started back to normalcy after imposition of Governor Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where traffic is on roads and government offices remain opened. All major roads in Peshawar, Nowshera and adjoining districts have been opened for traffic. Government and private offices have also reopened, while educational institutions remained closed as a precautionary measure. Legal and constitutional experts on Monday termed the imposition of Governor’s …
Life brings to normal in Peshawar as roads, Governor Rule in KP best constitutional option: Experts
PESHAWAR, Oct 12 (APP):The life in Peshawar started back to normalcy after imposition of Governor Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where traffic is on roads and government offices remain opened.
All major roads in Peshawar, Nowshera and adjoining districts have been opened for traffic. Government and private offices have also reopened, while educational institutions remained closed as a precautionary measure.
Legal and constitutional experts on Monday termed the imposition of Governor’s Rule and emergency measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as constitutional options in view of the deteriorating security situation and what they described as the provincial government’s failure to effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities especially in combating terrorism.
Talking to APP, senior lawyer Malik Ashfaq Advocate said the Constitution empowered the President to take necessary measures regarding the affairs of a province when the provincial government was unable to function in accordance with constitutional provisions.
He said Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution provided mechanisms for dealing with extraordinary situations involving threats to the security, peace and constitutional functioning of a province.
Malik Ashfaq said that where the law and order situation deteriorated beyond the effective control of the provincial administration, constitutional measures could be considered to restore peace, strengthen the writ of the state and ensure continuity of governance.
He said the extraordinary measures could remain in force for as long as constitutionally permissible and until the security situation returned to normal.
The lawyer welcomed the formation of an Advisers Council to assist Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi in handling the affairs of the province, saying that the members possessed considerable experience in their respective fields.
The council includes Lt Gen (R) Nigar Johar, Tariq Mehmood Pasha, Usman Saifullah Khan, Advocate Amir Javed, Dr Muhammad Irshad, Kifayatullah Khan, Dr Syed Amir Abdullah, Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, Dr Sarfraz Ali Shah and Asif Rafiq.
He expressed the hope that the members would utilise their professional and administrative experience in the best interest of the people and help improve governance and public service delivery.
Addressing the first meeting of the Advisers Council, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi reaffirmed the government’s commitment to restoring peace, strengthening the writ of the state and taking coordinated action against terrorism across the province.
The Governor welcomed the council members and congratulated them on assuming their new responsibilities. He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing serious challenges and assured that all matters would be addressed responsibly and in a timely manner.
He categorically stated that corruption would not be tolerated under any circumstances and announced that a meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee would also be convened to review the prevailing security situation.
In his message to the people of the province, Governor Kundi said certain constitutional measures had been taken in view of the extraordinary circumstances in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stressing that the objective was not political point-scoring but restoration of peace, security, stability and development.
He paid tribute to the sacrifices rendered by police personnel, armed forces, Levies, civil servants, religious scholars, teachers, traders and ordinary citizens in the fight against terrorism.
“The time has come to give Khyber Pakhtunkhwa its right to peace,” he said, adding that the fight was against terrorism and the networks, facilitators and environment that enabled the menace to flourish.
Governor Kundi said Pakhtuns were not the cause of terrorism but its biggest victims, reaffirming the state’s resolve to eliminate terrorism and establish lasting peace across the province.
He said protection of the people would remain his foremost priority and pledged to enhance the capacity of the police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), ensuring that personnel confronting terrorists were fully supported by the state.
He also announced full support for the families of police martyrs and stressed the need to strengthen the state’s administrative writ in restive districts.
The Governor said the administration would focus on providing equal opportunities in education, health, employment, roads, electricity, water supply and other public services to underdeveloped districts that had suffered from terrorism, displacement and prolonged deprivation.
He said the administration would be made more accountable while citizens would be empowered, adding that the government’s counter-terrorism strategy would target the entire ecosystem of terrorism, including facilitators, financial networks, recruitment channels, illegal weapons, narcotics and unlawful movement.
Governor Kundi said effective implementation of the National Action Plan and other counter-terrorism measures would remain a top priority, while every effort would be made to protect the future of the province’s youth from the effects of terrorism.
He clarified that the extraordinary administrative measures were not directed against any political party, individual or segment of society but were aimed at strengthening state institutions, enforcing the rule of law, eliminating terrorism and providing peace and relief to the people while fully respecting the constitutional and legal rights of citizens.
Governor Kundi also chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in the province, attended by senior civil administration and law-enforcement officials.
The participants were given a detailed briefing on the overall security situation, counter-terrorism measures and prevailing law and order conditions.
The meeting decided that educational institutions would remain closed in view of the security situation. It was also decided that containers placed at different points in Peshawar would be removed in phases within three days, while communication services would be partially restored according to requirements.
The meeting further decided to increase the compensation package for police martyrs and review police salaries. Special attention would also be given to the education and training of families of police martyrs.
Speaking at the meeting, Governor Kundi expressed satisfaction that no untoward incident had occurred during the prevailing circumstances.
He reiterated that elimination of terrorism was the government’s top priority and said the capacity of police and CTD would be further enhanced to effectively respond to security challenges.
A separate area Secretariat has been setup for 12 sensitive districts including eight of erstwhile Fata and four settled districts namely Lakki Marwat, Tank, Bannu and DI Khan.
The Secretariat will be run by additional Chief Secretary and Additional IGP and will look afters at administrative and development affairs besides emergency measures.
The 11 members of the adversary council and New Chief Secretary Fakhar-e-Alam Irfan has assumed charge of their office and started official functions.
According to police sources, former Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI KP President Junaid Akbar was kept in protective custody amid the prevailing security situation.
