President Asif Ali Zardari has signed a summary approving the imposition of emergency and Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following approval by the federal cabinet, with the government citing worsening law and order and an increase in terrorist attacks in the province.
The presidential proclamation, issued under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution of Pakistan on the prime minister’s advice, has taken immediate effect. A gazette notification has also been issued under Article 232.
According to the proclamation, the province has witnessed a rise in terrorist incidents targeting government installations, critical infrastructure and law enforcement agencies, posing serious threats to the lives and property of citizens.
The proclamation maintains that the provincial government has failed to demonstrate the commitment and take the necessary measures required to effectively address terrorism and lawlessness.
Under the arrangement, the federal government may direct the governor to assume all or some functions of the provincial government.
The governor will exercise the powers assigned by the federal government, while the powers of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly will be exercised by Parliament or under its authority.
The proclamation further states that the chief minister, provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and advocate general will immediately cease to hold their offices.
Following the imposition, internet disruptions were being reported from parts of Peshawar.
According to sources in the telecom sector, mobile network and data services have been slowed or shut down in selected areas of some cities.
However, there is no province-wide shutdown of mobile data or internet.
The federal government also authorised the deployment of Pakistan Army troops and assets in aid of civil power in KP.
A couple of hours after the imposition of emergency was announced, PTI claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and provincial party president Junaid Akbar were arrested, calling the move “political victimisation”.
PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said that the “arrests” aim to weaken the province’s elected leadership and undermine democratic institutions.
“The arrest of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Junaid Akbar has exposed the political nature of the federal government’s actions. These measures are not directed at addressing security challenges; they are intended to weaken PTI, undermine the elected government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and disregard the democratic will of its people,” Akram said in a statement posted on X.
Meanwhile, the government confirmed that some people who are “wanted” in cases have been detained to ensure law and order.
Later, the federal government formed an 11-member technocratic KP Advisory Council to assist the governor with running the province.
Earlier in the day, the federal government appointed Dr Muhammad Fakhr Alam Irfan as the chief secretary of KP, according to an official notification, a copy of which is available with Dawn.
The appointment will take effect immediately and remain in place until further orders, it said.
Dr Irfan, a Grade 22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), was previously serving as secretary of the Power Division in the federal Ministry of Energy. He hails from Mardan.
In a separate notification, the federal government also placed Muhammad Yahya Akhunzada at the disposal of the KP government with “immediate effect and until further orders”.
Akhunzada, a Grade 20 PAS officer, was serving as an additional secretary at PMO.
Separately, 15 officers belonging to the Pakistan Administrative Service have been transferred out of KP and directed to report to the Establishment Division, according to information provided in the transfer orders.The transferred officers include personnel in grades 18 through 21.
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leader Allama Nasir Abbas condemned the imposition of emergency, describing it as a blow to federalism and democratic representation. He questioned why emergency measures were being imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when similar measures had not resolved security challenges in Balochistan.
Nasir Abbas said the province’s population, particularly its young people, deserved respect for their electoral choices. He also warned that operations resulting in civilian casualties could not be supported. The Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan, or Movement for the Protection of the Constitution of Pakistan, described Governor’s Rule as a violation of constitutional principles and an insult to the electorate’s mandate.
In a statement, the alliance said the decision could deepen political instability and increase tensions between the federation and the province. It announced plans to convene a meeting and formulate a joint strategy with its allies.
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also opposed the move, saying emergency rule and Governor’s Rule were not solutions to the province’s problems.
ANP President Senator Aimal Wali Khan said he remained opposed to Governor’s Rule and emergency measures, describing them as undemocratic and contrary to democratic traditions.
However, he clarified that his opposition did not amount to support for the PTI’s governance in the province, which he criticised on financial, administrative and political grounds. In contrast, Sunni religious leader Allama Ata Muhammad Deshani welcomed the imposition of emergency.
The decision has triggered a fresh political confrontation between the federal government and opposition parties, with the PTI and several other political groups vowing to challenge the move.
While the federal government has cited security concerns and the need for effective counterterrorism measures, opposition leaders argue that the decision undermines constitutional protections, provincial autonomy and the electoral mandate.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told a news conference in Islamabad that the arrangement would initially remain in place for six months.