ISLAMABAD, Oct 11 (APP):Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Sunday said the federal government had invoked constitutional provisions to impose governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing a sharp increase in terrorism and concerns over the provincial government’s ability to maintain law and order.
He was addressing a press conference along with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi. The law Minister said the decision followed a cabinet meeting lasting more than two hours, during which relevant departments presented their reports. He said the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had also conveyed alarming findings to the federal government through a letter in fulfillment of his constitutional responsibilities under Article 234.
Tarar said intervention had become necessary as the provincial government was allegedly failing to maintain its writ and prioritizing political considerations over the lives, property and welfare of the people.
He said reports presented by the Ministry of Interior showed that terrorism and extremism incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had increased by 196 percent over the past two to two-and-a-half years. The minister said casualties, injuries and damage to installations and vehicles had also risen sharply.
Referring to international assessments, Tarar said a prominent terrorism index based in Sydney had ranked Pakistan as the country most affected by terrorism.
Explaining the legal basis for the decision, he said the federal government and the President had acted within the framework of the Constitution of 1973. He referred to Article 149(4), concerning national peace, security and tranquility, as well as Article 232, which deals with emergency provisions in circumstances threatening the security of the country.
Following consultations that continued until 2:30am, the President, on the advice of the Prime Minister, invoked Articles 232 and 234 to introduce emergency measures and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said.
Under the arrangement, the provincial government’s executive functions would be placed in abeyance, while the governor would exercise provincial powers with the assistance of an11-member advisory council.
The minister said a separate secretariat and administrative mechanism had also been established to oversee 12 districts severely affected by terrorism. An officer of additional chief secretary rank would serve as administrator, while Dr Muhammad Fakhar e Alam had been appointed the new chief secretary.
Tarar said the advisory council and secretariat would assist the Governor in managing the province’s administrative affairs.
He added that the federal government had deployed the Pakistan Army under Article 245 to assist the new provincial set up and restoring law and order. The armed forces were already engaged in security operations and had made significant sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, he said.
The minister said the proclamation and related measures would be placed before the National Assembly and the Senate within10 days, as required under the constitutional process, for debate and the necessary parliamentary consideration and approval.
Speaking on the occasion, Member of the National Assembly Samar Haroon Bilour has called for collective efforts to restore peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Speaking about her personal experience, she said she and her children were displaced to Islamabad in 2008 after her father-in-law survived two suicide attacks before being martyred in a fifth attack.
She said a rocket strike had also destroyed the roof of a bedroom in her family home, forcing them to leave behind their peaceful family life. Although they managed to establish another home in Islamabad, many families in KP did not have the same resources, she added.
Bilour highlighted the hardships faced by women and families across the province, particularly in the southern districts and her ancestral area of Lakki Marwat, where residents had endured displacement, fear and prolonged insecurity.
She said the deteriorating security situation had also disrupted education, citing the departure of around 700 to 800 female students from Bannu University because traveling through dangerous routes, including those passing through Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan, had become life-threatening.
The MNA expressed regret that the sacrifices and economic hardships of the people of KP had often been overlooked, with the fight against terrorism frequently treated as a conflict affecting only the province.
Supporting the government’s administrative and security measures under Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, she said state institutions had a responsibility to protect vulnerable citizens and prevent further loss of life.
She said the measures were aimed at ending the cycle of grief caused by terrorism and protecting ordinary families, particularly women and children, from continued violence and trauma.
Bilour also criticized social media users who mocked or disrespected the sacrifices of martyred soldiers, police personnel and civilians from KP. She stressed that security personnel from across Pakistan had laid down their lives to protect the country.
She urged political leaders and citizens to support efforts to restore peace, safeguard affected families and bring lasting stability and development to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.