PM-Kundi meeting sets tongues wagging

ISLAMABAD: As Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur led a contingent of PTI supporters towards Islamabad, the province’s governor met with PM Shehbaz Sharif — sparking rumours that the imposition of governor’s rule may be on the cards.
However, Faisal Karim Kundi said he had no intention to rule the province because he did not want to turn the PTI “from a political orphan to a political martyr”.
Both the PM Office and the PPP confirmed the two men met on Friday night, but did not elaborate on what was discussed in their meeting.
Speaking to Hum News later, Governor Kundi said he did not wish to give the PTI any more sympathies than it had already gathered.
However, he noted that the Constitution did provide for such a contingency, adding that he was not aware whether the federal government was thinking of such a move.
Article 234 of the Constitution, titled ‘Power to issue proclamation in case of failure of constitutional machinery in a province’, explains what can be done in such a situation.
According to the provision, the president can “assume to himself, or direct the governor of the province to assume on behalf of the president, all or any of the functions of the government of the province, and all or any of the powers vested in, or exercisable by, any body or authority in the province, other than the provincial assembly”. Such a move has a time limit of two months, and has to be ratified by a joint sitting of both houses of parliament.
Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2024