Naqvi tells Senate: There’s no violation of constitution
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has defended the imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying no provision of the Constitution and the law was violated in this regard. He has also said that emergency would not have been imposed in KP had the government and the opposition reached an agreement. Speaking at the maiden meeting of the 364th Senate session on Tuesday, the minister…
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi addressed the Senate, asserting that the imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) did not breach any constitutional provisions or laws. Naqvi argued that the emergency would not have been implemented if the government and opposition had reached a consensus. He questioned which article of the Constitution had been violated, in response to Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas's statement that the Constitution had been violated.
Naqvi proposed forming a committee to investigate whether any law had been contravened during the proclamation of emergency in KP. The opposition leader's speech was described as "highly emotional" by Naqvi. The government's dialogue with the opposition centered on terrorism, with seven to eight points discussed during the negotiations.
Naqvi revealed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser had assured the ruling side that the opposition would support Pakistan's stance against terrorism; however, Naqvi stated that their viewpoints on the matter did not align. The minister claimed that the government did not equate political statements with terrorism.
The draft agreement between the government and opposition underwent six revisions, with the final version shared with the Chief Minister of KP, who forwarded it to Murad Saeed. Despite the ministers' efforts, the work was deemed futile. Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House in Senate Ishaq Dar endorsed the imposition of emergency and the governor rule in KP, citing a surge in terrorism during the PTI government.
Opposition Leader Abbas criticized the federal government for "shattering the Constitution" by imposing emergency and the governor rule in KP, questioning why the situation in KP necessitated emergency measures while the rest of the country remained unaffected. He demanded an immediate withdrawal of the emergency and governor rule and suggested resolving their differences through dialogue rather than exacerbating the issue.
The Senate session was adjourned until Wednesday as per the Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani's decision.
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