Lahore/Islamabad, October 16,2026: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday claimed that the head of a political party was “deeply upset” over not being appointed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor or given a role in the province’s governor’s rule setup.
Speaking informally to journalists in Lahore, Naqvi did not name the politician but alleged that the leader had relied on establishment support for decades to remain politically relevant.
“Such was his situation that even the air tickets for his political party were arranged by the establishment,” the interior minister claimed.
He said it was inappropriate for such politicians to criticise others now, adding that political differences should be expressed through arguments and facts rather than “indecent language and accusations”.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa entered a new administrative arrangement on October 11 after President Asif Ali Zardari approved the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.
Under the arrangement, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi is exercising the provincial government’s functions on behalf of the federation, assisted by an 11-member advisory council, while Parliament is exercising the legislative powers of the provincial assembly.
Naqvi also criticised political leaders for raising concerns over the resources allocated to the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
“Some political leaders are very concerned today about the resources of the former FATA districts. When these districts were not receiving their due share for several years, why were these people silent?” he questioned.
He asked why these leaders had not spoken up for the rights of former FATA residents when the issue had arisen in previous years.
The interior minister stressed that the rights and resources of former FATA residents should remain above political interests.
Turning to the security situation, Naqvi said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing serious security challenges. He urged political leaders to contribute to restoring peace and eliminating terrorism instead of “fuelling the fire and spreading unrest”.
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needs peace, stability and collective efforts, not political confrontation,” he added.
Sanaullah says emergency measures could be reconsidered
Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the possibility of lifting emergency measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could be considered if the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) fulfilled its constitutional and legal responsibilities.
“Even now, if the PTI fulfils its constitutional and legal role, the matter can be considered,” Sanaullah said while speaking to a private news channel on Friday.
The federal government imposed emergency measures in the province on October 11, citing the deteriorating security situation and concerns over counterterrorism efforts. The PTI, which leads the provincial government, has opposed the move.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has taken charge of running the province on behalf of the federal government, assisted by an 11-member technocratic KP Advisory Council.
Sanaullah said an interim arrangement would not have been necessary had the PTI been willing to fulfil its constitutional and legal responsibilities.
He also said the government regretted placing the sisters of PTI founder Imran Khan under house arrest but maintained that the measure had become necessary to control the situation.
“Everyone knows what they used to say about the long march,” he said, adding that Khan’s sisters had made statements calling for an attack on the Governor’s House.
He also referred to statements made by what he described as the PTI’s social media “mafia”.
Sanaullah said the opposition was facing the consequences of its own conduct. Contrasting the conduct of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with that of Imran Khan during his tenure, he said the current prime minister interacted with opposition leaders in Parliament.
“When the PTI founder was prime minister, he did not even telephone the opposition leader,” Sanaullah said.
“Whenever the current prime minister comes to the House, he shakes hands with the opposition leader.”
The prime minister’s adviser warned that terrorism could threaten Pakistan’s existence if it was not eliminated immediately.
He said India could no longer fight Pakistan in a conventional war and claimed that the wider region viewed Pakistan as a security provider.
Sanaullah further alleged that India had established bases in Afghanistan and was financing terrorism.
He stressed that Pakistan’s security would be at risk if the nation failed to unite against terrorism and the federal and provincial governments did not adopt a common policy.
Maryam criticises PTI over political turmoil
Separately, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz criticised the PTI, saying that those who claimed to have raised public awareness had instead damaged people’s lives.
Addressing an event in Sahiwal on Friday, she said no one had brought down the PTI government, arguing that the party had caused its own downfall.
“This is the first long march that ended with the end of its own government,” Maryam said.
She also described it as the first long march that had consumed the government itself.
Questioning the party’s conduct, the Punjab chief minister asked whether a provincial government had ever attacked another province or the federal government.
“Punjab is entering the age of artificial intelligence today, while KP is in the Stone Age,” she said.
Maryam added that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would now learn what development meant.
