ISLAMABAD, OCT 10 /DNA/ – In a major political development, the federal government has decided to impose an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), with key constitutional articles being invoked to take control of the provincial administration.
Sources confirmed that a meeting of the federal cabinet has been summoned for tomorrow (October 11) to formally approve the decision. Simultaneously, both houses of Parliament—the National Assembly and the Senate—have been summoned to meet on October 13, where the move is expected to be debated and ratified.
According to highly placed sources, the government intends to invoke Article 232 (Proclamation of Emergency on account of war, internal disturbance, etc.) and Article 234 (Power to issue Proclamation in case of failure of constitutional machinery in a Province) of the Constitution.
Under this framework, the President, on the advice of the Prime Minister, would assume control of the provincial government. However, sources indicate that a final decision on whether the President will directly assume authority or if the Governor of KP will be empowered to act as the federal representative is still being deliberated. The exact strategy regarding the administrative takeover is expected to be finalized before the parliamentary session.
The decision appears to have broad political backing. Sources within the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) have confirmed their agreement to the move. Furthermore, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reportedly held consultations with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman to secure his support.
The extraordinary move signals a dramatic escalation in the federal-provincial tensions. Further details are expected to emerge following tomorrow’s cabinet meeting.
