In Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly calls for Article 6 action against Maryam Nawaz
In Pakistan’s Peshawar, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly adopted by majority vote a resolution calling for action under Article 6 of the Constitution against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The reason was her remarks that Punjab faces a greater security threat from neighboring provinces than from neighboring countries, and that terrorism enters the province through its borders.
As Dawn reports, the assembly suspended its planned agenda to consider the document. The resolution was moved by Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi during a session chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.
Content of the resolution
The document states that such remarks could harm national unity, spread hostility among provinces and undermine the federation. Lawmakers also paid tribute to those killed in the fight against terrorism, stressing that it is a challenge for the entire country that can be overcome only through joint efforts.
Housing Minister Amjad Ali said Maryam Nawaz’s words were directed not only against the PTI party but also against the entire province. He called them offensive and urged the Punjab chief minister to apologize at an assembly session for claiming that threats to Punjab come not from India but from other provinces.
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Information Minister Shafi Jan said Maryam Nawaz’s statement was made deliberately and could be used against Pakistan at the International Court of Justice. According to him, she also gave Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “clean chit.”
PML-N response
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz representative Amna Sardar responded that Maryam Nawaz had not mentioned Pashtuns in her statement. According to her, lawmakers from the government benches added this word to the statement, while the Punjab chief minister’s remarks are being misinterpreted and presented in a distorted manner.
Awami National Party lawmaker Muhammad Nisar called Maryam Nawaz’s words an insult to residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He also asked why security forces, in his view, are able to maintain order in Punjab but cannot ensure it in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
