President gives green light to emergency rule in KP

President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the imposition of emergency rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) following a recommendation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal cabinet. The decision comes amid growing security concerns and a worsening law and order situation in the province.

According to a statement shared on the president’s official X account on Sunday, Zardari approved the prime minister’s advice under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution of Pakistan. The decision followed the federal cabinet’s approval and reports from relevant institutions regarding the security situation.

The statement also referred to the failure of negotiations with government delegations as one of the factors behind the decision. The president signed the summary after reviewing the advice submitted by the prime minister and the information provided by the relevant authorities.

Earlier on Sunday, the federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reviewed the security situation in KP and discussed the growing threat of terrorism. The cabinet subsequently recommended invoking constitutional provisions to impose emergency rule in the province.

The prime minister’s advice was then forwarded to the President’s House for approval. The president’s decision marked a major development in the federal government’s response to the situation in KP.

The move comes amid heightened political tensions following the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long march, which began on October 4. The political and security situation in the province has remained a key concern for the federal government.

President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz had also met at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Saturday to discuss the country’s political and security situation, with particular attention to KP. The Presidency said the meeting covered the overall situation and confirmed that separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate would be held on October 13.

Meanwhile, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had reportedly submitted a written explanation to the prime minister about a week earlier, outlining the grounds for the proposed emergency measures. The document reportedly highlighted the deteriorating law and order situation and the need for intervention.

The approval is expected to intensify political debate over the federal government’s constitutional powers, provincial autonomy and the future administration of KP as security challenges continue to dominate the national agenda.