Pakistan Weighs Emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amid PTI March

Pakistan govt "seriously considering" imposing emergency in PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Islamabad, October 1

The ruling coalition has warned of sending the PTI-led provincial administration in KP packing through governor's rule or a state of emergency if the provincial leadership fails to call off its planned march to Islamabad on October 4, Dawn reported. The march, organised to demand the release of PTI founder Imran Khan, has emerged as a major point of confrontation between the federal government and the opposition.

Speaking to media persons at Parliament House on Wednesday (local time), Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said, "The provincial government's lack of interest or success in controlling it (terrorism) is the reason for which the imposition of emergency under Article 232 is being discussed," as reported by Dawn. The minister also expressed confidence that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) key coalition ally, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), would back the move.

Responding to the development, PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said that if the federal administration consults his party regarding the imposition of governor's rule in KP, the party will "give its views strictly in accordance with the Constitution and law," according to a press release cited by Dawn.

Describing the law and order situation in the province as "deeply concerning," Bukhari stated that while peaceful protest remains a fundamental democratic right, "attacking the state under the guise of politics" is completely unacceptable.

"The government must ensure the rule of law and take effective measures to maintain peace and security," Dawn quoted Bukhari as stating. He added that the PPP maintains faith in political dialogue and that national challenges can only be resolved "through meaningful political engagement."

— ANI