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After days of escalating tensions with former Pakistan PM Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Shehbaz Sharif government on Sunday imposed an emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), removing the party's last remaining government from power. President Asif Ali Zardari approved the move under Articles 232 and 234 of Pakistan's Constitution, citing worsening terrorism and a breakdown of constitutional governance.
The decision has opened another front in the confrontation between Islamabad and Imran Khan's party, with the provincial governor (an appointee of the Sharif government) warning protesters against taking the law into their own hands.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, backed by Pakistan's powerful military establishment under Asim Munir, accused the PTI government of KP of failing to tackle terrorism.
"If anyone takes the law into their own hands, we will deal with them with an iron hand," KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said in a video statement.
The timing of the emergency is politically significant. The PTI has been organising a long march demanding the release of its jailed founder, Imran Khan. The imposition of the emergency came as the protest was gathering momentum and the authorities were preparing to prevent demonstrators from advancing towards Islamabad.
PTI Chairman, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan rejected the decision, calling it "an extremely alarming and grave political mistake and an undemocratic measure". He warned that the move would deepen the confrontation between the federal government and the province, rather than bring peace to the militancy-hit region.
SHEHBAZ GOVERNMENT IMPOSES EMERGENCY IN KP
The decision followed an emergency meeting of Pakistan's federal cabinet chaired by Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday. Ministers reviewed the security situation in KP, which borders Afghanistan and has witnessed repeated attacks by militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Karachi-based Dawn reported.
According to Dawn, the cabinet accused the PTI administration of "provincial government's deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism".
Sharif told his ministers, "I will not allow them [PTI] to destabilise the economy."
He also referred to the killing of civilians and security personnel in terrorist attacks. His government has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of failing to prevent militant groups from operating across the border.
WHAT HAPPENS TO PTI GOVERNMENT AND CHIEF MINISTER
The presidential proclamation effectively removed the elected provincial administration from power, including Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and his council of ministers.
Under Article 234 of Pakistan's Constitution, the president can assume provincial government functions or direct the governor to exercise them on his behalf when constitutional machinery has failed.
The proclamation also allows the powers of the provincial assembly to be exercised by or under the authority of Pakistan's Parliament.
Article 232 provides for an emergency when war, external aggression or internal disturbances threaten the country's security beyond the provincial government's ability to control. However, the constitutional provisions also contain procedural safeguards.
An emergency under Article 232 on grounds of internal disturbances ordinarily requires a provincial assembly resolution. Where the president acts without such a resolution, parliamentary approval is required within 10 days. Under Article 234, governor's rule must receive approval at a joint parliamentary sitting within two months. Extensions are possible, but the provision sets an overall six-month limit.
Dawn reported that Article 233, which deals with suspending certain fundamental rights during an emergency, was not mentioned in the presidential summary. Therefore, the proclamation should not automatically be described as suspending those rights.
The federal government also appointed senior bureaucrat Muhammad Fakhr Alam Irfan as KP's new chief secretary.
PTI WARNS OF DAMAGE TO PAKISTAN'S DEMOCRACY
The PTI has described the emergency as an attack on the electoral mandate of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
"Peace cannot be established, nor stability brought, by ignoring this mandate, weakening provincial autonomy, and creating conflict between the federation and the province," PTI leader Barrister Gohar said.
He maintained that PTI did not oppose the fight against terrorism but rejected using counterterrorism as justification for restricting provincial autonomy.
Before the emergency was imposed, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had warned that he would not accept any "illegal move" to bring the province under federal control.
Addressing supporters in Mardan on Saturday, Afridi said the Pathan population would not be intimidated by threats, guns or bullets. He also indicated that the party's march could be redirected towards Peshawar before proceeding to Islamabad, according to BBC Urdu.
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari called the emergency a "ridiculous decision".
"This will only lead to further bloodshed, instability and collateral damage," Reuters reported.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also warned that the decision risked escalating political tensions and weakening the democratic process.
KP EMERGENCY COULD DEEPEN PAKISTAN'S CRISIS
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not just another province in Pakistan's political contest. It is a predominantly Pathan region bordering Afghanistan, a major centre of PTI's political support and a frontline province in the country's struggle against militancy.
The dispute also reflects fundamental disagreements over how terrorism should be tackled.
Islamabad accuses the PTI administration of neglecting security responsibilities, while PTI argues that military operations and security policies cannot be imposed without taking the province's elected representatives and residents into confidence.
The confrontation has now moved beyond political accusations and protest marches to the removal of an elected provincial government.
With Pakistan's Assembly and Senate scheduled to meet on October 13, the constitutional and political consequences of the emergency are likely to come under further scrutiny.
For the Asim Munir-led establishment, the move is being presented as necessary to restore security. The PTI called it an attempt to suppress political opposition.
And for Pakistan, already confronting violence and deep political divisions, the immediate question is if the emergency rule in KP will restore order or intensify the confrontation.
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(Written by Sushim Mukul)
