ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair a key meeting at the Prime Minister’s House today (Saturday) as the federal government weighs constitutional options for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), including an emergency or governor’s rule, sources said.
The meeting is expected to bring together relevant stakeholders to review the province’s security situation, examine reports from security agencies and assess the legal and administrative options available to the Centre amid rising tensions with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)-led provincial government. The sources said important decisions could be taken after consultations, but no final decision had been announced ahead of the meeting.
Emergency in 12 districts under consideration
The sources said a proposal to impose an emergency in 12 districts of the province, including all the merged districts of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas, is also on the table. The proposed measures would aim to protect lives and property and could involve the federal government exercising additional powers in the province.
The government has not publicly announced that any such measure will be imposed.
What the Constitution provides
The debate centres on Articles 232 and 234. Article 232 covers the proclamation of an emergency in cases of war, external aggression or internal disturbance threatening the security of Pakistan or part of it. Article 234 applies when a provincial government cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution. The two carry different legal requirements and procedures, and any move would have to meet the relevant conditions.
Long march adds to tensions
The consultations come as the PTI’s long march on Islamabad, led by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, has deepened the standoff between Islamabad and Peshawar. The march began on October 4 after negotiations failed to produce an agreement, and entered its sixth day on Friday. The PTI is demanding the release of founder Imran Khan, while the federal government has raised concerns over security and the provincial administration’s cooperation on counterterrorism.
On October 4, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Governor Faisal Karim Kundi in Peshawar. A Governor House statement said the meeting expressed concern over the possibility of terrorists being facilitated in crossing security checkpoints during the march, and 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 later said such steps would be taken if the president and prime minister deemed them necessary to protect the province.
Bilawal, governor weigh in
On Friday, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the federal government had been prepared to impose governor’s rule or an emergency, but that his party had urged the Centre to treat such measures as a last resort and pursue negotiations. Speaking at a sports complex inauguration in Karachi, he said the PPP did not want either measure. He accused the PTI-led provincial government of prioritising confrontation and warned that responsibility for any such decision would rest with Afridi if he obstructed talks.
Also on Friday, Kundi vowed to keep holding security meetings and challenged the marchers to cross Swabi, calling the protest led by Afridi a “circus”. He said someone had to take responsibility while the chief minister was busy with the march. Afridi had called the governor’s meeting unconstitutional.
Whether today’s consultations lead to an emergency, governor’s rule or continued efforts at a political settlement remains unclear.
PAK SOUCH MEDIA GROUP
Daily Pak Souch Newspaper Sukkur – Daily Pak Special Newspaper Karachi – Daily Pak Today Newspaper Karachi – Daily Pak Jazbo Newspaper Sukkur
Head Office : Ayub Gate Shaikh Muhalla Near Rabbania Masjid Sukkur
Karachi Office : Office No. 1901-B, 19th Floor Saima Trade Tower (B) Block I.I Chandigarh Road Near Jung Press, Shaheen Complex & National Museum of Pakistan Karachi Sindh Pakistan.
Contact : 03009319022
Website 1 : https://paksouch.com/
Website 2 : https://sindhi.paksouch.com/
Website 3 : https://pakjazbo.com/
Website 4 : https://urdu.pakjazbo.com/
About The Author
