Pakistan Imposes Emergency and Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Army Deployed, Chief Minister Detained

Islamabad: Pakistan’s federal government has imposed an emergency and Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing the worsening terrorism situation in the province and what it described as the provincial government’s failure to cooperate in implementing the National Action Plan against terrorism.

The federal cabinet approved the invocation of Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. President Asif Ali Zardari then signed the summary on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and a notification was issued. Under the presidential proclamation, the provincial government has been rendered non-functional, and all executive powers have been transferred to the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi, who will act as administrator. An 11-member advisory council headed by the Governor has been formed to assist him.

The federal government has also deployed the army in the province. During the emergency, troops will remain in aid of the civil administration, and the Governor will determine the number of troops required in consultation with the Military Operations Directorate at General Headquarters.

Governor Kundi said the province would be made a haven of peace, and he summoned a meeting of the provincial Apex Committee for today.

Arrests and Security Measures

Soon after Governor’s Rule was imposed, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was taken into custody, along with other senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including provincial president Junaid Akbar and Babar Saleem. According to sources, visits to the Chief Minister had been barred, no one was allowed into the Chief Minister’s House, and its staff was reduced. In Swabi, 56 PTI workers were arrested in view of security concerns.

The government issued a red alert in Islamabad, deploying heavy police contingents and closing entry to the Red Zone. In Peshawar, mobile phone services were suspended and the Red Zone was sealed.

Prime Minister: “Time for Decision”

Addressing the federal cabinet on Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said silence on terrorism was tantamount to hostility towards the country, and that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had not uttered a single word against terrorists. “The water has gone above the head. Now is the time for decision,” he said.

The Prime Minister said combating terrorism was the responsibility of the provincial government as well as the federation, and that terrorist incidents had increased because of the provincial government’s neglect. He said the province had received Rs800 billion over ten years to counter terrorism, yet no attention had been paid to building the capacity of the police and the Counter Terrorism Department.

He said the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (N) had preferred to resolve matters through dialogue, and the government team had made sincere efforts to reach an understanding. However, he said the Chief Minister had backed away from a draft agreed during negotiations, and a plan had instead been made to march on Islamabad while terrorism was ignored. “We will not allow the country to be pushed back towards destruction. The law will take its course,” he said.

The Prime Minister also said Afghanistan was being used by foreign hands, and that the use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan would not be accepted under any circumstances.

Legal Basis Explained

Federal Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said the cabinet, in a two-hour meeting, had considered a letter from the Governor stating under Article 234 that there had been a constitutional breakdown in the province and that the writ of the government had disappeared. He said reported terrorist incidents had risen by 196 percent, and that a Sydney-based international organisation had ranked Pakistan at the top of the countries worst affected by terrorism, dealing a severe blow to the economy and investment.

He said Article 149(4) of the Constitution empowers the federation to issue directions to provinces on law and order, while the President had exercised emergency powers under Articles 232 and 234 in view of serious internal and external threats. Under the proclamation, the powers of the Chief Minister, provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and the Advocate General have ended. He said the arrangement would initially remain in place for six months.

Interior Minister Warns Protesters

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the government’s top priority was restoring law and order and bringing life in the province back to normal. He directed protesting groups and long-march participants to disperse immediately, warning that strict action, including protective custody and arrests, would be taken against anyone who took the law into their own hands. He said that in some districts people would not be allowed to leave their homes after dusk.

Naqvi said that under the notification, and on the model of South Punjab, a dedicated secretariat had been provided to the Additional Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, working under the Governor and the Chief Secretary.

Information Minister’s Allegations

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar alleged that the PTI had links with terrorists and was entirely unserious about eliminating terrorism. He claimed the PTI government in the province had a close nexus with terrorists, which had brought the province’s administration to the brink of collapse, and that reports by the Intelligence Bureau and law enforcement agencies had described the situation as extremely alarming.

He said every political party except the PTI had faced terrorist attacks in the province, alleged that matters had reached the point of power-sharing between terrorists and the PTI, and claimed that terrorists had enjoyed safe access and financial resources in the province. “Today we have been rid of this group,” he said.

PTI Condemns “Coup Under Guise of Emergency”

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas strongly condemned the move, calling it contrary to the Constitution, the law and democratic values.

Barrister Gohar described the decision as a coup under the guise of an emergency and a grave political mistake. He said the party would raise the matter in the courts, the assemblies and public forums, and that the people would never accept such measures. He demanded that the federal government withdraw the decision.

He said the PTI was a democratic party that had always spoken out against terrorism, that the provincial government was committed to eliminating it, and that the narrative of non-cooperation was false. “If there is a terrorism problem in 12 districts, why impose Governor’s Rule on the entire province?” he asked, adding that terrorism had not been discussed in negotiations before October 2. He claimed that 1,500 PTI workers were in Punjab’s jails, and that 10 PTI members of the provincial assembly, including three ministers, and eight members of the National Assembly had been arrested. He said linking action against his party to counter-terrorism was not justified.

Salman Akram Raja said Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other political leaders had been working to make the negotiations successful, that satisfactory progress was being made, and that the emergency had been imposed in haste. He said the people would decide for themselves how to express their displeasure at actions against democracy.

Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said the rulers were responsible for the unrest in the country, and that his side could not support any operation in which ordinary citizens became victims. He said the National Action Plan should be implemented in Pakistan.

Calls for Protest

PTI Member of the National Assembly Shahid Khattak called on the public to come out, saying he was present in Peshawar. He urged people across Khyber to head to Peshawar in support of PTI founder Imran Khan, and called on residents of the southern districts, including Karak, to block the National Highway.

Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan said in a statement on X that the party had not compromised on Imran Khan’s name or the honour of the Pakhtuns, and had instead sacrificed its government to keep faith with Imran Khan’s word.