President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the imposition of a state of emergency and Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under Articles 232(1) and 234(1) of the Constitution, amid escalating terrorism, deteriorating law and order, and growing political tensions between the federal government and the PTI-led provincial administration.
According to the text of the reported presidential proclamation, the decision follows a sharp increase in terrorist attacks targeting civilians, security personnel, government installations, and critical infrastructure, posing serious threats to public safety and provincial stability. The proclamation cites a report from the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa highlighting an alleged breakdown of constitutional governance and the provincial government’s failure to take effective measures against terrorism and lawlessness.
Under the administrative arrangement, 12 districts of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) will be placed under emergency provisions pursuant to Article 232, while the remaining districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will come under Governor’s Rule under Article 234. The development follows consultations between the PML-N and PPP leadership and a special federal cabinet meeting convened by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on October 11.
Under the presidential proclamation, the federal government will be empowered to direct the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to assume all or specified executive functions of the provincial administration. The Governor may also exercise powers assigned to provincial authorities and institutions under federal direction, while the legislative powers of the KP Assembly would be exercised by Parliament or under its authority.
The proclamation further provides for the immediate removal of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, and the Advocate General, with the new administrative arrangement taking immediate effect. Article 232 provides for an emergency proclamation in circumstances involving serious threats to national or regional security, while Article 234 allows federal intervention when a provincial government cannot function in accordance with the Constitution.
Both provisions carry constitutional requirements for parliamentary oversight and approval. The development comes amid intensifying political confrontation between the federal government and PTI, with separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate reportedly scheduled for October 13 to consider the constitutional situation.
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