PPP Punjab defends governor's rule

Addressing a press conference and answering media questions at the Peoples Secretariat in Model Town, alongside Syed Hassan Murtaza, General Secretary of PPP Central Punjab, PPP Secretary General Humayun Khan said the party had supported difficult and unpopular constitutional decisions by prioritising the protection of the state and the public over political interests.

He said he had come to Punjab to discuss organisational matters and that, when faced with a choice between saving the country and pursuing politics, the PPP had prioritised Pakistan and its people. "For us, the country and the people come first; politics comes later," he said.

Employment, business activity and economic stability, he added, were inconceivable without law and order. Instead of making state affairs contingent upon the release of a single individual, he said, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should focus on public issues, law and order, and unemployment.

Syed Hassan Murtaza said the PPP had pursued negotiations and dialogue to improve the situation, but circumstances had become increasingly complex because of the lack of a positive response. The government, in collaboration with security agencies, had tried to normalise the situation and was ultimately compelled to take certain constitutional measures that were not politically palatable.

He said the declaration issued under the president's signature complied with constitutional requirements and that the PPP had exercised its constitutional prerogative with a heavy heart. Prioritising the state's interests over political gains, he said, was essential.

The PPP had stood by the state despite the political costs, he added, praying that Allah Almighty protect Pakistan and its people from all manner of threats. Murtaza said the imposition of governor's rule was neither a matter of pride nor a source of happiness for the PPP.

However, when the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister was unwilling to engage in dialogue, he said, considering alternative constitutional avenues became inevitable to improve the law-and-order situation in the province. He questioned what measures should be taken to prevent a clash between state institutions when federal and provincial forces confront one another.