President Zardari signs off on emergency rule in K-P

President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday signed off on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recommendation of imposing emergency rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) amid a deteriorating security situation and the provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism.

According to a post on X by the president of Pakistan, Zardari signed off on PM Shehbaz’s advice under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

“Following the federal cabinet’s decision, the prime minister’s advice, reports from relevant institutions regarding the law and order situation, and the failure of negotiations with government delegations, the president has signed the summary,” the post said.

The announcement came shortly after the federal cabinet recommended imposing emergency rule in K-P amid the prevailing security situation.

The cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of PM Shehbaz, reviewed the worsening law and order situation in the province and was briefed on the rising threat of terrorism.

In view of the gravity of the situation, the cabinet recommended that the prime minister advise President Zardari to invoke his constitutional powers under Articles 232 and 234 to impose emergency rule in the province.

The advice was then forwarded to the President’s House.

Read: Federal govt appoints new K-P chief secretary

The developments follow a meeting between President Zardari and PM Shehbaz at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Saturday, during which they reviewed the country’s overall political and security situation, with particular attention to K-P, where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) launched its long march on October 4.

The Presidency’s media wing said the meeting discussed the overall political and security situation and that separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate had been agreed upon for October 13.

According to sources, K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had sent the PM Shehbaz a written explanation of the grounds for emergency measures about a week earlier, as part of the legal requirements for the proposed intervention.

The reported advice argued that the province’s law and order situation had deteriorated to the point where imposing an emergency had become necessary.