PM to chair key meeting as Centre weighs various options for KP

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to chair a key meeting at the Prime Minister’s House on Saturday as the federal government weighs constitutional options for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the imposition of an emergency or governor’s rule.

According to sources, the meeting will also review the province’s security situation.

The meeting is expected to bring together relevant stakeholders to examine security agencies’ reports and assess the legal and administrative options available to the federal government amid escalating tensions with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government.

Sources said that a proposal to impose an emergency in 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including all merged districts, formerly Federally Administered Tribal Areas, is also under consideration.

The proposed measures would aim to protect the life and property of citizens and could involve the federal government exercising additional powers in the province.

The meeting is expected to examine the constitutional provisions governing emergency measures and the administration of a province.

Sources said that important decisions could be taken after consultations, but no final decision had been announced ahead of the meeting.

Constitutional options under consideration

The debate centres on Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, which provide for distinct circumstances in which emergency measures or federal intervention in provincial administration may be considered.

Article 232 deals with the proclamation of an emergency in circumstances involving war, external aggression or an internal disturbance that threatens the security of Pakistan or a part of the country. Article 234 concerns a situation in which the government of a province cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution.

The two provisions have different legal requirements and procedures; any move would have to meet the relevant constitutional conditions. The government has not publicly announced that either measure will be imposed

PTI long march adds to tensions

The consultations come as PTI’s long march on Islamabad, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, has intensified the political standoff between the federal and provincial governments. The PTI’s long march entered its sixth day on Friday.

The march began on October 4 after negotiations between the government and PTI failed to produce an agreement to avert the protest. The party has been demanding the release of its founder, Imran Khan, while the federal government has raised concerns about security and the provincial administration’s cooperation in counterterrorism efforts.

The possibility of emergency measures or governor’s rule had already been discussed by senior government figures.

On October 4, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi in Peshawar to discuss the province’s law and order situation and developments related to the march.

According to a statement issued by the Governor House, the meeting expressed concern over the possibility of terrorists being facilitated in crossing security checkpoints during the march.

The statement also said 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 that an emergency or governor’s rule would be imposed if the president and prime minister deemed it necessary to protect the province amid the security situation.

He has also defended his decision to convene meetings on law and order, despite objections from the provincial government.

Bilawal says PPP urged Centre to pursue political solution

Earlier on Friday, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the federal government had been prepared to impose governor’s rule or an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but his party had urged the Centre to treat such measures as a last resort and pursue negotiations.

Speaking at a ceremony to inaugurate a sports complex in Karachi, Bilawal said the PPP did not want governor’s rule or an emergency in the province and had advocated resolving the political dispute through dialogue.

He said the federal government had been in contact with President Asif Ali Zardari and the PPP over the security situation, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and suggested that the situation could have escalated had his party not pushed for a political solution.

Bilawal criticised the PTI-led provincial government, accusing it of prioritising confrontational politics over public welfare and undermining efforts to negotiate a settlement. He warned that responsibility for any future decision to impose governor’s rule or an emergency would rest with Chief Minister Afridi if he continued to obstruct negotiations.

The PPP chairman also questioned why the chief minister would risk the future of his own government by resisting efforts to resolve the dispute through talks.

Governor defends security meetings

Earlier on Friday, Kundi vowed to continue holding meetings on the province’s security situation and challenged PTI marchers to cross Swabi, describing the protest led by Afridi as a “circus”.

Addressing a press conference at the Governor House, Kundi defended his decision to chair a meeting with the chief secretary and police chief to review law and order, arguing that someone had to take responsibility while the chief minister was occupied with the long march.

His remarks came after Afridi criticised the governor’s meeting as unconstitutional. Kundi maintained that the meeting was intended to assess the province’s security situation and that he would continue to discharge his responsibilities.

The proposed meeting at the Prime Minister’s House is expected to bring the federal government’s security assessment and constitutional options into focus. However, whether the consultations will lead to an emergency proclamation, governor’s rule or a continued effort to resolve the standoff politically remains unclear.