Parliament endorses KP emergency with 214 votes amid opposition protest

ISLAMABAD: Parliament’s joint sitting endorsed on Thursday the imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with 214 lawmakers voting in favour of the resolution and 56 opposing it amid protests by opposition members.

Members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) supported the resolution, while opposition lawmakers chanted slogans against governor’s rule.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry moved the resolution concerning the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in the province during the session chaired by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and other lawmakers also attended the joint sitting.

Documents relating to the president’s proclamation of emergency in KP were presented before the joint sitting under Article 232(7) of the Constitution. Documents concerning the imposition of governor’s rule were also tabled under Article 234(3).

Following the presentation of the resolution, opposition lawmakers protested and demanded a count of members in the House.

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the opposition had demanded a count and that its request should be accommodated. The speaker subsequently directed that the members be counted.

The count confirmed that 214 lawmakers voted in favour of the resolution, while 56 opposed it.

At the outset of the session, Ayaz Sadiq referred to a tragic incident in Peshawar in which students were killed and called for prayers for the deceased. After the resolution was passed, he opened the floor for debate.

Tarar defends emergency, cites security concerns

Speaking during the joint sitting, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the session had been convened to fulfil constitutional requirements, adding that the matter had already been discussed in the National Assembly and Senate.

He said the government would respond to questions raised by the opposition and rejected attempts to link the decision to October 12.

Tarar said meetings of the apex committees had been held in Islamabad and Peshawar, while incidents had occurred in Lakki Marwat, Tank and Bajaur within a single day.

He argued that the chief minister should have been at a hospital rather than preparing for a long march during such a situation, adding that the state must take precedence over politics in times of crisis.

The law minister said the KP governor had sent a detailed letter to the president, accompanied by national security reports. The federal cabinet subsequently recommended emergency and governor’s rule to the prime minister, he added.

According to Tarar, the prime minister approved the proposal before forwarding the summary, and the president approved the emergency proclamation in light of the reports.

He also said a decision had been taken to allocate 1% of the national gross domestic product to KP. Tarar claimed that the province had received Rs13,000 billion during the current year.

Achakzai calls for negotiations, questions government’s intentions

National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai called on the government to resume negotiations, saying the parties should agree that parliament would function in accordance with the Constitution.

“Give supremacy to the Constitution and we are with you,” he said.

Achakzai criticised the country’s Afghanistan policy, alleging that the Afghan Taliban were a product of Pakistan’s own policies. He compared Pakistan’s approach to Afghanistan with British attempts to impose their will on the neighbouring country.

He also questioned the government’s response to militancy, saying 1,200 tribal elders, religious scholars and community leaders had been killed by terrorists and asking why emergency measures had not been introduced earlier.

“If you prove that Pashtuns are terrorists, I will leave this seat,” he said, arguing that Pashtuns had been targeted because they were unwilling to accept subjugation.

Achakzai alleged that the government had prepared lists in advance, which he said demonstrated its bad intentions. He added that the opposition would not engage in negotiations until the whereabouts of KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi were established.

He said Awami National Party leader Aimal Wali Khan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would be on the opposition’s side, adding that people in Sindh would also support them.

The opposition leader further alleged that attempts were being made to seize the province’s water and mineral resources, saying they would be protected.

He also questioned the use of force against political groups and protesters, referring to the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, the PTI and people in Bara.

Achakzai raises allegations of political victimisation

In further remarks, Achakzai criticised those he said were issuing orders to the government, referring to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s imprisonment at Attock Fort and his subsequent departure from Pakistan.

He described Pakistan as a fortress of Islam but said Islam itself was effectively under detention in the country.

Achakzai also alleged that a young man named Riaz, who lived with him, had been taken away by police personnel from Karachi Company on September 26.

According to Achakzai, three police vehicles were involved in the incident. He alleged that Riaz was taken to an undisclosed location, stripped of his clothes and filmed with a woman, with those responsible threatening to send the video to his wife.

The allegations could not be independently verified from the material provided.

Achakzai said he did not want to register a first information report (FIR) over the incident. He also referred to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while questioning whether the country was effectively under martial law.

Sherry Rehman questions PTI’s record on terrorism

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman criticised the PTI’s handling of militancy in KP, accusing the party’s previous government of releasing Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters in 2022.

Speaking during the joint sitting, Rehman said the federal government had sought an agreement with the provincial administration to strengthen security cooperation but had waited for the provincial leadership to engage in talks.

She said an agreement between the federal and provincial governments was essential to address terrorism, adding that other provinces had trained their police forces in counterterrorism.

Rehman argued that strengthening the KP police would benefit the provincial government by equipping officers with the resources and training needed to tackle militancy.

“Why is terrorism not an issue?” she asked, pointing to Pakistan’s sacrifices in the fight against militancy, including the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Rehman alleged that TTP fighters had been released during the PTI government led by former prime minister Imran Khan. She said she had records relating to the releases in 2022.

Referring to the security situation in southern KP, she said residents in areas such as Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu should not have to live in fear of travelling after 4pm.

She said the people of the province deserved to reclaim areas affected by militancy, arguing that effective cooperation between the federal and provincial governments was necessary to restore security.

National Assembly, Senate backed emergency a day earlier

A day earlier, the National Assembly and Senate had passed separate resolutions supporting the emergency proclamation in KP amid protests by opposition lawmakers.

The National Assembly adopted the resolution by a majority vote following more than four hours of debate. Opposition lawmakers protested against the federal government’s move targeting the PTI-led provincial government.

The Senate also approved the resolution by a majority amid an uproar. PTI lawmakers protested against the measure before walking out of the House, according to media reports.

The federal government has maintained that the emergency was imposed in accordance with the Constitution and was necessary to address the deteriorating security situation in the province.

The move follows weeks of heightened tensions between the federal government and the PTI over security policy, political protests and demands concerning the party’s founder, Imran Khan, who remains in prison.

The government has said the decision was driven by security concerns and the need for more effective coordination against militancy. The PTI, however, has rejected accusations that its provincial administration failed to address terrorism.

Under the arrangement announced by the government, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi is to oversee provincial affairs with the assistance of an 11-member advisory council.