PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has said he would prefer to give up his office rather than compromise on his political ideology, while rejecting the possibility of governor’s rule or an emergency in the province.
The chief minister’s remarks came amid growing political uncertainty in KP, with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) postponing its planned September 27 march on Islamabad until October 4.
PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat has also claimed that a no-confidence move could be brought against Afridi. Marwat said PTI founder Imran Khan had conveyed that the Islamabad march could be beyond the chief minister’s capacity and suggested that he should resign.
Meanwhile, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has discussed the possibility of imposing governor’s rule or emergency in the province.
Chairing a meeting on the law and order situation, Afridi said the people of KP, police and security forces had made significant sacrifices to restore peace.
He said the hard-won peace had come under renewed strain, alleging that unrest increased following what he termed a “regime change”.
Afridi said his government had repeatedly drawn the federal government’s attention to the deteriorating security situation, including reports of militants moving into mountainous areas and later being resettled elsewhere.
“The state’s current policy is wrong and will lead to more bloodshed,” the chief minister said.
Afridi also made it clear that political pressure would not persuade him to abandon his stated position, saying he was prepared to leave the Chief Minister’s House rather than compromise on his ideology.
