PM Shehbaz to chair apex committee meeting during Peshawar visit today

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Peshawar on Thursday to chair a meeting of the provincial apex committee focused on peace and stability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), according to official sources.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi will accompany the prime minister during the visit, sources said. The apex committee meeting will be held at the Governor House in Peshawar, where participants are expected to discuss matters relating to law and order, peace and stability in the province.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz will also hold discussions with the governor on major development projects planned for KP, according to official sources. The visit comes amid ongoing efforts to address security challenges and advance development initiatives in the province.

The political and administrative order in KP changed on October 11, when President Asif Ali Zardari approved the imposition of an emergency under Article 232 and governor’s rule under Article 234 following a federal cabinet recommendation. The federal government cited the worsening security situation and what it described as the PTI-led provincial government’s failure to cooperate adequately against terrorism. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, his cabinet and advisers ceased to hold office, while executive authority shifted to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.

The Centre simultaneously announced an 11-member advisory council to assist Kundi and created a separate Area Development Secretariat for 12 terrorism-affected districts: Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, Upper South Waziristan, Lower South Waziristan and North Waziristan. The federal government also authorised the deployment of the Pakistan Army under Article 245 to assist the civil administration.

Security clampdown and detentions

The immediate impact was most visible in Peshawar. On October 12, containers blocked routes through the cantonment and towards the Governor House and Red Zone, educational institutions were closed and security was tightened ahead of a PTI protest. Mobile phone and Wi-Fi services, which had been suspended, were later restored. Afridi and some members of his former cabinet were also taken into “preventive custody”, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry confirmed, saying those facing cases would be charged while others would be released.

At the first provincial Apex Committee meeting under the new arrangement, Kundi and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said counterterrorism would be the administration’s priority. Kundi pledged to strengthen the police and Counter-Terrorism Department, while Naqvi said the federal and provincial administrations were now “on the same page” on security. By October 13, major roads, markets and public transport in Peshawar had reopened, although a heavy security presence remained.

Parliamentary approval and legal challenge

The political contest then moved to Parliament and the courts. The National Assembly and Senate endorsed the emergency measures on October 14, and a joint sitting of Parliament approved the resolution the following day by 214 votes to 56 amid opposition protests.

The new administrative structure continued to take shape. On October 17, the federal government appointed 48 members to a Regional Representative and Development Council covering the 12 designated districts following jirga consultations, with Shaukatullah Khan named chairperson.

Legal proceedings have continued alongside the administrative changes. On October 20, the Peshawar High Court reserved its decision on petitions challenging the emergency and governor’s rule. A day later, the court sought reports from senior provincial authorities on Afridi’s whereabouts and legal status after his family alleged he was being unlawfully held. The case was adjourned until November 3. The emergency arrangement therefore remains in force while its constitutional validity and the treatment of former provincial office-holders remain under judicial scrutiny.