Tarar cites 196% surge in terrorism to justify KP emergency

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has said the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been rendered inactive following the imposition of an emergency. He said the governor is now authorised to administer the province under the federal government.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside federal ministers, Tarar said a separate secretariat had been established for 12 districts severely affected by terrorism. An Additional Chief Secretary would serve as the administrator of the newly established Administrative and Regional Development Council (ARDC) for these districts, which would also operate under the governor’s supervision.

The law minister said the federal government had also ordered the deployment of armed forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under Article 245 of the Constitution to assist the governor. He maintained that President Asif Ali Zardari had taken the measures within the constitutional framework.

Explaining the legal basis for the decision, Tarar referred to Article 232 of the Constitution, which provides for the imposition of an emergency in cases involving external aggression or internal disturbances. He said the presidential proclamation had suspended the functioning of the provincial government and authorised the governor to take over the province’s administration.

According to Tarar, the proclamation also recommended the formation of an 11-member advisory council to assist the governor in running provincial affairs.

He said the deteriorating security situation had made emergency measures necessary. The government had also directed the establishment of a separate secretariat for the 12 districts affected by terrorism.

Tarar said he had been asked about the possibility of imposing an emergency around 20 days earlier. At the time, he had stated that such a step could be taken if circumstances warranted it. He said subsequent developments had demonstrated the seriousness of the situation.

The minister alleged that the KP governor had conveyed deeply concerning information to the federal government. He accused the provincial administration of prioritising political activities over the protection of citizens.

Tarar further claimed that terrorist incidents in the province had increased by 196 per cent, describing attacks as an increasingly routine occurrence. He also said negotiations over the situation had continued until 2:30am.