Islamabad (Pakistan): Pakistan’s federal government is reportedly considering imposing an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) amid growing security concerns and a proposed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest march towards Islamabad.
According to Dawn, the ruling coalition has warned that the PTI-led provincial government could face removal through governor’s rule or the imposition of an emergency if the provincial leadership does not call off its proposed march to Islamabad on 4 October.
The planned protest is linked to the PTI’s demand for the release of its founder, Imran Khan, and has further intensified tensions between the federal government and the opposition.
Speaking to journalists at the Parliament House on Wednesday, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the provincial government’s alleged lack of interest or success in tackling terrorism was the reason discussions over imposing an emergency under Article 232 had begun.
Chaudhry also indicated that the federal government expected the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key coalition partner of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), to support the move.
The PPP, however, said it would assess any proposal according to constitutional and legal provisions. PPP Secretary-General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said that if the federal government consulted the party over imposing governor’s rule in KP, the PPP would provide its view “in accordance with the Constitution and the law”.
Bukhari described the law and order situation in KP as “extremely concerning”, while stressing that peaceful protest remained a fundamental democratic right. At the same time, he said that “attacking the state under the guise of politics” was unacceptable.
According to Dawn, Bukhari urged the government to uphold the rule of law and take effective measures to maintain peace and security.
He also reiterated the PPP’s support for political dialogue, saying that national challenges could be resolved only through meaningful political engagement.
