‘Negotiations were a sham’: Raja Nasir Abbas lambasts government for pre-planning governor’s rule

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas on Tuesday alleged that negotiations with the government were a sham, claiming that the decision on governor’s rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had already been made before the talks concluded.

The federal government imposed an emergency and governor’s rule in K-P on Sunday under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. The government cited the deteriorating law and order situation and what it called a lack of support from the provincial administration in the fight against terrorism.

The upper house opened the floor for debate on the move.

“The negotiations were a sham. You had already made up your mind,” Abbas said, arguing that the opposition had shown flexibility by stepping back from its demand for a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, while the government had refused to reconsider its position.

Speaking during a Senate session chaired by Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Abbas said the opposition wanted to meet Imran to seek his guidance in light of the prevailing global situation, adding that denying access to a detained political leader raised questions about the government’s commitment to political dialogue.

“We are not being allowed to meet Imran Khan, who is a prisoner and the head of a political party,” he said.

Abbas maintained that the opposition had demonstrated a willingness to compromise during negotiations but alleged that the government had already decided on its course of action.

He also criticised the reported move towards imposing governor’s rule in K-P, warning that such measures could deepen political tensions and undermine efforts to restore peace in the province.

Questioning the message being conveyed to young people in K-P, the opposition leader said the authorities’ actions suggested that political struggle and recourse to the judiciary carried little weight. He warned that pushing people away from democratic and political processes could increase frustration and potentially contribute to further instability and militancy.

Referring to the governor’s reported remarks urging people to leave their homes, Abbas argued that such statements could have the opposite of their intended effect by encouraging more people to take up arms.

He cautioned that policies pursued in the name of “restoring order” could aggravate terrorism and unrest, rather than address their underlying causes.

Drawing a comparison with former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, Abbas said that even Musharraf had tolerated dissent to some extent, questioning why a government operating under a democratic system could not accommodate political disagreement. He also alleged that PTI lawmakers, including members of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies, were being abducted.

Abbas said the political crisis could still be resolved through dialogue and corrective action.

He urged the government to end governor’s rule, warning that the move would not deliver lasting peace and could instead inflict further damage on the country.

“Peace cannot be established through such measures. Pakistan will suffer the consequences,” he said.

Earlier, the Senate session began with prayers for those who lost their lives in the Multan railway incident, with Abbas leading the prayers. The house also approved a motion to defer the question hour.

The panel of presiding officers was announced, with Senators Shahadat Ahsan, Manzoor Ahmed and Abdul Qadir nominated to the panel.

Interior minister says negotiations with PTI collapsed over intra-party differences

Later in the session, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that the government had approached the opposition for negotiations with sincerity. He claimed that the options of imposing an emergency or governor’s rule had been available as early as November 24, but insisted that the government had not wanted to take either step.

He urged opposition leaders to confirm that he had continued contacting them until the night before the possibility of an emergency was discussed.

Recounting the negotiations with the opposition, Naqvi said the initial discussions had focused primarily on terrorism, with the first seven or eight points concerning the security situation. He said PTI leader Asad Qaiser had assured the government of cooperation on the issue and indicated that he would consult the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government before proceeding further.

“After that, we discussed political issues,” Naqvi highlighted.

Naqvi said he had also approached Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and asked him to identify the changes the opposition wanted in “paragraph four” of the draft proposal.

During the negotiations, the interior minister said Asad Qaiser had subsequently indicated that the opposition was willing to support measures concerning terrorism, including an emergency.

According to the minister, six proposals were sent in the final draft.

He claimed that after the draft was finalised, it was forwarded to the K-P chief minister, who then shared it with Murad Saeed. Naqvi alleged that the process broke down following these consultations.

Naqvi also questioned whether Murad Saeed alone was responsible for the collapse of the negotiations, suggesting that other factors and people within the party may also have played a role.

“Imposing an emergency or governor’s rule was not easy. None of us wanted it,” he said.

At the same time, he said, “We did not want our security personnel to be martyred in Peshawar while no provincial assembly representative was present,” referring to the security situation in K-P.

He added that government representatives had attended the funerals of security personnel in the province, accusing the provincial government of failing to provide similar support.

The interior minister also alleged that around 80% of terrorism-related activity was emanating from Afghanistan. He said the government had never singled out any tribe in its statements on militancy.

Naqvi said the government had raised concerns about alleged contacts between certain individuals associated with the PTI-led provincial administration and the Taliban.

“We told them that several of their people were linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and we have evidence,” he said, adding that the government also had information about financial transactions involving individuals connected to the matter.

The minister also recalled previous negotiations with PTI leaders over a planned protest on November 25.

“The government had offered the opposition a venue to hold its protest, but the opposition had instead demanded that a telephone conversation be arranged [with the PTI founder].”

According to Naqvi, the call was facilitated, and the conversation took place, but differences emerged within the opposition, with some party members refusing to accept the outcome. The minister said the government was subsequently asked to arrange a video message from the PTI founder, Imran Khan.

Naqvi claimed that he asked Barrister Gohar to go and record the message, but Imran Khan declined to avail the offer. The minister maintained that the government had reminded the PTI founder that his party was preparing to stage a sit-in and that the message needed to be recorded immediately, but he ignored the call.

Naqvi concluded this part of his remarks by praying for the success of security forces in the fight against terrorism and saying the federal government would work alongside the people of K-P.

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More to follow.