Pakistan imposes emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Pakistan imposes emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as federal authorities and Imran Khan’s party clash over protests.
Emergency and governor’s rule imposed
Pakistan’s federal government imposed an emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, October 11. The Indian Express reported that President Asif Ali Zardari approved the federal cabinet’s recommendations under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.
The decision followed a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Cabinet members accused the provincial administration of disengaging from efforts to combat terrorism, the newspaper reported. That accusation represents the federal government’s stated position. The same update said Dr Muhammad Fakhr Alam Irfan was appointed the province’s new chief secretary.
Pakistan imposes Governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid terrorism concernsProvincial administration loses its powers
The Times of India reported that the proclamation suspends the provincial government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. Its account said the chief minister, ministers, advisers, special assistants and advocate general were required to leave office.
The report described the presidential declaration as citing terrorist attacks and a breakdown of constitutional machinery. It also placed the decision amid a confrontation between the federal authorities and Khan’s supporters, who have been marching towards Islamabad to demand his release and access to medical treatment.
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According to The Times of India, two rounds of talks failed to resolve the dispute over the protest. It reported that authorities had placed shipping containers at entry points to Islamabad and elsewhere to block access.
PTI spokesman Zulfikar Bukhari criticised the emergency and warned of instability. His warning was an opposition response to the decision, rather than a confirmed account of what would follow. The immediate development is a change in provincial administration while the political confrontation continues.
Pak crisis: Shehbaz govt declares emergency, ends Imran Khan’s party’s rule in KPK