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Police firing shots to disperse people protesting the emergency rule in the northwestern province of Pakuna. The provincial government led by Pakistanik Insaf or PTI has been stripped of its powers and its functions transferred to federal authorities. It's a move that's being strongly opposed by supporters of Imran Khan's PDI party, which holds a majority in the province and has governed Kabar Pakunha since 2013. All the roads are blocked. We have a democratic government here with members of the assemblies being held hostage. We voted for these representatives and the chief minister was elected with our votes. Imposing an emergency is
unconstitutional and illegal. If they impose it, it amounts to stealing the mandate of the Pun people. People are facing difficulties because of this colonial style rule. Right now, children can't go to school. Containers have been placed to block roads and businesses are suffering. Those who are protesting it's illegal right. They have come out to express their views and there is nothing that would justify blocking roads with containers and deploying such a large police force. The federal government says the move was necessary because of worsening security and rising militant violence. issues it says the provincial government has failed to tackle with regard to terrorism. Situation is very clear.
There are 12 districts where things are very bad. In some districts, the people who live there can't even go out in the evening. In addition, there was the manner in which a senior officer of the election commission was martyed there the day before yesterday. Police are being targeted and killed. Every day is a new day for us. A day in which our people are being martyed. Pakistan is fighting a deadly insurgency in the province of Kar Paktunha and militant violence along the Pakistan Afghanistan border has increased significantly in recent years. Hundreds of people both civilians and security forces have lost their lives in terrorist incidents.
PTI rejects the charge of not doing enough to curb terrorism and says Islamabad has not provided the funding and equipment it needs. The government imposed the emergency as PTI's leaders and supporters were marching towards Islamabad demanding the release of Imran Khan who has been in prison for over 3 years. The government insists the charges against Khan are valid criminal cases that involve corruption and other offenses. But Khan and his legal team reject the charges, saying they are politically motivated and amount to political persecution. But with emergency rule now imposed and several PTI leaders detained, the party's planned protest campaign has been thrown into uncertainty. Khan's
party with a long history of confrontation with the country's military and ruling government says the new orders are effectively a coup disguised as emergency. Well, I'm joined now by Aisha Sadika. She's a senior fellow in King's College London's Department of War Studies. Her research focuses partly on the Pakistani military. It's good to have you with us this evening. So, let's sort this out if we can. The Pakistani government says that imposing emergency rule is necessary because of militant violence. Imran Khan's supporters say that it's about stopping his political movement.
How convincing is the security case and what evidence points to a political motive? Well, you know, um, every government which takes such an action has to justify its action and that this is what's doing. Uh, so terrorism or countering terrorism is that excuse because the military is in charge of security in that area. M uh the police uh you know when the PTI government says that there is very little investment on the police and it's the military which controls they're correct. That is the situation and so basically fighting terrorism is an excuse. It's more of a political ploy uh to push back uh the PTI government to take them out um you know uh and try to counter its popularity.
You don't see this as a power grab at all? I mean we are looking at the suspension of an elected provincial government. It is a power grab. That's what I'm saying. I'm not saying that what I'm basically saying is that uh imposing emergency to fight terrorism is just an excuse. It is a power grab and that power grab is driven by the discomfort of the military in particular and the polit and their political partners regarding Imran Khan's popularity uh growing popularity throughout the country. But definitely uh a consistent popularity in Kar Pakuna province this militant threat. What responsibility does Khan's PTI's provincial government what responsibility do they bear for failing to protect the people?
I don't think that uh as a government of course they are on the face of it they are responsible and the problem has been that there has been very bad communication between the PTI government and the military but as far as security is concerned uh the military is definitely in charge they are the ones who are supposed to be fighting this battle and the problem is that people are very unhappy with the Taliban, the ordinary folk, but they're also equally unhappy with military presence. And as far as uh PTI is concerned, you see military's point of view is that PTI is supporting the Taliban. I don't think they're supporting the Taliban. All they're saying, and that's an older policy, is that let's talk to them. Not
all of them are bad. Let's talk to them. And this is something which the military had done in the past. I mean suddenly it has changed its position in the last 3 years. Uh the you know the PTI on the other hand continues to say that and the reason and there is a logic for that. They're saying that because when war happens when the conflict happens it's the pashon the ordinary pon who die on both sides the Taliban are pons and the people you know the ordinary people are pons as well. same tribes on both sides of the border. So they argue that let's talk to them and the military wants to do a fight. I would also very quickly like you know like to point out that this is in southern Punjab. There are areas where you also have Taliban there
and one wonders I mean and Punjab is a very controlled province uh controlled by the military. How come you have Taliban there? How come Taliban exists there without the military knowing? I think the military does know. So, we don't know who's fighting what. Let me just ask you before we run out of time, what we're seeing right happen right now, does this weaken Imran Khan politically or does it reinforce his own narrative that the government is afraid of him? I don't think this is going to weaken Immran Khan. Um I think what the military was uncomfortable with, the government was uncomfortable with was this idea that they're going to march onto Islamabad and you know this constant threat that
there is this presence. PTI has a base in Pakuna and that's what was bothering them. But in fact this uh imposition of emergency is going to make him not just popular in KP but rest of Pakistan as well. Okay, Sadika from Kings College London. Miss Sadika, we appreciate your time and your insights tonight helping us put this into context. Thank you.
