LAHORE, Sept 28: Senior journalist and analyst Najam Sethi has claimed that Pakistan is heading towards the imposition of a national emergency, saying that several major political and security issues could be addressed through such a measure.

Speaking during his analytical programme, Najam Sethi said that under a national emergency, the entire country could come under government control, allowing authorities greater powers in dealing with the prevailing political and security situation.

Referring to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s postponed protest march, he said he had earlier predicted that the march would be delayed by a week. He said the government had incurred substantial expenditure on sealing Islamabad, while the postponement of the protest meant that the capital could face restrictions for another week.

Sethi also referred to the cost of deploying containers and other security arrangements, saying that container owners could demand additional rental payments if the restrictions continued for an extended period.

Discussing the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Sethi described the situation in the province as highly concerning. He also alleged that the provincial government was not providing the federal government with the required cooperation on security matters.

He further claimed that the federal government was considering constitutional and legal options to bring the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government under its control amid the prevailing security situation.

The remarks were made by Najam Sethi during his analytical programme and subsequently circulated on social media.