PESHAWAR: Whenever Islamabad and Peshawar lock horns, one phrase starts echoing in the corridors of power – Governor Rule. Today, as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government prepares to challenge the possible imposition of Governor Rule in the Peshawar High Court, history reminds us that Peshawar has seen this Raj before Three times.
KP, formerly the North-West Frontier Province, has always been a politically turbulent province. Its rugged politics, its proximity to Afghanistan, and its defiant assemblies have often made it a thorn in the side of the center.
The First Governor Rule
The British Precedent (1939) The first taste of Governor Rule was not under the green flag, but under the British. In November 1939, Dr. Khan Sahib, brother of Bacha Khan and Chief Minister of the Congress Ministry, resigned in protest against Britain dragging India into World War II.
For nearly four years, from 1939 to 1943, the British Governor ruled NWFP directly from the Governor House. It set a template: when the province disagrees, rule it directly.
The first Governor Rule in independent Pakistan came in 1975.Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, at the peak of his power, was facing a strong opposition alliance. In NWFP, Chief Minister Nasrullah Khattak’s government was struggling with internal rifts and law and order.
On February 16, 1975, Bhutto invoked the Governor’s powers. The assembly was sent home, and Governor Syed Ghawas took charge. It lasted less than three months – until May 3, 1975 – but it sent a clear message: Islamabad will not tolerate dissent in Peshawar.
In 1994: Benazir’s Short, Sharp Strike
The shortest and perhaps the most political Governor Rule came in 1994.Pir Sabir Shah of PML-N was Chief Minister. His rival, Aftab Sherpao of PPP, was bidding for power. Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, alleging corruption and horse-trading, dismissed the PML-N government on February 25, 1994.
Governor Lt. Gen (R) Khurshid Ali Khan ruled for exactly two months. The move was challenged, debated, and became a classic case of Article 234 being used as a political weapon. By April 24, a new PPP-led government under Sherpao was installed.
1999-2002: The Longest era of Governor Rule
The longest and darkest chapter began on the night of October 12, 1999.General Pervez Musharraf had just overthrown Nawaz Sharif. At midnight, all four provincial assemblies were suspended. Democracy was wrapped up.In Peshawar, Governor Lt. Gen (R) Muhammad Shafiq, a man in uniform, became the absolute ruler. For more than three years, till November 30, 2002, there was no Chief Minister, no cabinet, no assembly. KP was ruled by a General appointed by a General. It was only after the 2002 elections that the Governor House handed power back to the elected house.
Constitutional experts say Article 234 is clear – Governor Rule can only be imposed if there is a constitutional breakdown, not a political disagreement. The Peshawar High Court has in the past been sympathetic to the province.
From Dr. Khan Sahib in 1939 to the present day, the story of KP is the story of a province that has never easily accepted Governor Rule. Each time it was imposed, it ended with courts, compromises, and a return to the ballot box. The question is: will history repeat itself, or will this time the Governor House doors remain closed.
Read also: Jamaat-e-Islami to Strongly Oppose Governor Rule in KP: Inayatullah Khan
