The article dismisses Islamabad’s claim that the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was “deliberately disengaging” from counter-terrorism as unproven and politically motivated, noting the party’s long electoral dominance in a province that has borne the heaviest cost of the TTP conflict.

It contrasts the army’s 2022 downplaying of TTP presence in Swat and Dir with the subsequent surge in attacks—225 in the last month alone—and argues that Field Marshal Munir’s force-centric strategy has failed while civilian casualties have risen.

The imposition of Governor’s rule is portrayed as a calculated step to dismantle PTI’s last stronghold under the cover of counter-terrorism, giving the military unchecked authority and removing any provincial scapegoat for continuing security failures.

Contentious Dismissal

Given Field Marshal Asim Munir’s intense hatred for former Prime Minister and Tehreek-e-Insaf [PTI] chief Imran Khan, the extinction of the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [KP] was expected. And when this happened, the only thing people asked about Islamabad’s [or to be more precise, Rawalpindi’s] decision to suspend the KP government and impose Governor rule in this province was, why did it take so much time?

Speaking at a news conference, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar claimed that “The fundamental grounds for imposition of emergency are law and order, fight against terrorism, and to save innocent people from the dreadful consequences of terrorist activities.” A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office was however more specific and cited the “provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism,” which is undoubtedly an extremely serious allegation that justifies the KP government’s suspension.

Unconvincing Allegations

PTI has governed KP ever since 2013, which unambiguously indicates the enduring confidence the public has in this party and the suspended dispensation’s popularity can be gauged by the fact that it came to power with an impressive two-third majority. The people of KP have been bearing the brunt of the ongoing Pakistan army versus TTP battle for years in which thousands have died while many more have been left maimed and seriously injured, and so, if the PTI government was in cahoots with terrorists, the locals definitely wouldn’t have voted it to power. That’s why PTI’s impressive and more than two-and-a-half decade track record of uninterrupted public confidence........

© Eurasia Review