National Assembly, Senate sessions summoned for Tuesday after Zardari-Shehbaz high-level meeting

ISLAMABAD: Separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate will be convened on Tuesday, following a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Aiwan-e-Sadr, according to an official statement issued by the President’s Secretariat.

The meeting discussed the country’s overall political and security situation, the statement said.

The prime minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, his adviser on political affairs Senator Rana Sanaullah, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, Law and Justice Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar and Federal Minister Senator Ahad Cheema.

Senator Sherry Rehman, Syed Naveed Qamar, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla and Dr Asim assisted the president during the meeting.

صدرِ مملکت آصف علی زرداری سے وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی ایوانِ صدر میں ملاقات، ملک کی مجموعی سیاسی اور سیکیورٹی صورتِ حال پر تبادلہ خیال۔

ملاقات میں وزیر اعظم کی معاونت نائب وزیراعظم سینیٹر اسحاق ڈار، وزیراعظم کے مشیر برائے سیاسی امور سینیٹر رانا ثناء الّلہ، وفاقی وزیر داخلہ… pic.twitter.com/r1T1bTXTy4

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) October 10, 2026

The agreement to convene separate sessions of both houses of Parliament comes amid heightened political tensions between the federal government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government.

The federal government has been weighing possible constitutional options for KP, including the imposition of an emergency or governor’s rule. However, the President’s Secretariat statement did not announce any decision on either measure.

PM Shehbaz invites Maulana Fazlur Rehman to PM House

PM Shehbaz spoke to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman by telephone and invited him to the Prime Minister’s House for a meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

According to a PMO statement, Maulana Fazlur Rehman accepted the invitation, and the meeting was expected to take place soon. The two leaders also discussed ways to ease tensions between the federal government and the KP government, according to the statement.

PM Shehbaz also congratulated the JUI-F chief on performing Umrah.

Emergency in 12 KP districts under consideration

Earlier reports said the federal government was considering imposing an emergency in 12 districts of KP, including all merged districts of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

The proposed measures were being considered amid concerns about security and the provincial government’s handling of counterterrorism. However, no official announcement has confirmed that an emergency or governor’s rule will be imposed.

What the Constitution provides

The debate centres on Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.

Article 232 provides for the proclamation of an emergency in circumstances including war, external aggression or internal disturbance threatening the security of Pakistan or part of it. Article 234 concerns a situation in which a provincial government cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution.

The provisions involve different conditions and procedures, and any action would have to comply with the relevant constitutional requirements.

PTI long march adds to tensions

The consultations come amid a standoff between the federal government and the PTI-led KP administration over the party’s long march towards Islamabad, led by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

The march began on October 4 after negotiations failed to produce an agreement. PTI is demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan, while the federal government has raised concerns about security and counterterrorism cooperation.

On October 4, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi in Peshawar. A Governor House statement said concerns had been raised about the possibility of militants being facilitated in crossing security checkpoints during the march. It added that the governor’s office would perform its constitutional role if the president and prime minister considered emergency measures or governor’s rule necessary.

Kundi subsequently said such steps could be taken if the president and prime minister deemed them necessary to protect the province. Afridi, meanwhile, had described the governor’s meeting with the chief secretary and police chief as unconstitutional.

Bilawal urges Centre to treat measures as last resort

On Friday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the federal government had been prepared to consider governor’s rule or an emergency, but his party had urged it to treat both options as a last resort and continue pursuing negotiations.

Speaking at a sports complex inauguration in Karachi, Bilawal said the PPP did not want either measure. He accused the PTI-led provincial government of prioritising confrontation and warned that responsibility for any resulting decision would rest with Afridi if he obstructed talks.

Kundi also criticised the long march, describing it as a “circus” and challenging its participants to cross Swabi. He said security meetings would continue while the chief minister was occupied with the march.