Last Updated on October 14, 2026 by YeJahan
YEJAHAN REPORT
ISLAMABAD (Oct 14): The federal government’s decision to impose emergency rule on the volatile northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has received full parliamentary backing, cementing Islamabad’s direct control over the region.
Following a vote in the National Assembly, the Senate quickly passed a matching resolution to rubber-stamp the federal takeover. The centre had moved to oust the provincial administration on Sunday, accusing local officials of walking away from the fight against terrorism.
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while addressing the National Assembly session, accused Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party of committing “political suicide” after the federal government moved to impose emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman claimed the PTI had engineered its own downfall in the northwestern province by repeatedly sabotaging national counter-terrorism efforts and refusing to cooperate with Islamabad.
“Their leadership knows full well—even if they won’t admit it in public—that the PTI has carried out a political suicide attack on its own government in KP,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari told MPs.
The PPP leader took aim at the opposition’s outrage over the federal intervention, arguing that the PTI had failed to offer any coherent legal or constitutional challenge to the decision.
“If the president was expected to reject the order, there needed to be a solid reason for doing so,” he said, adding that neither President Asif Ali Zardari nor the PPP leadership had been presented with a single convincing political or constitutional argument against the move.
Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, steered the emergency motions through both houses under Articles 232 and 234 of the constitution. The dual victories hand the federal authorities wide-ranging powers to enforce prolonged governor’s rule.
The parliamentary votes trigger an immediate shutdown of the province’s political establishment:
Government dissolved
The elected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial administration has been sacked. The Chief Minister, cabinet ministers, and advisors have all been stripped of office.
Parliament takes over
The KP provincial assembly has been suspended. The federal parliament in Islamabad will now take over all lawmaking duties for the province, including areas normally run by local government.
Governor in control
Executive power now sits with Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, who will govern with the help of a temporary 11-member advisory council.
Military deployment and new border rules
The Pakistan Army and federal paramilitary forces have deployed heavily across the province under Article 245 to lead a fresh counter-terrorism drive.
A separate administrative unit, the Area Development Secretariat, has been set up to oversee 12 border districts, mostly in the former tribal areas (FATA). An Additional Chief Secretary will run the zone, with their executive orders carrying the full weight of provincial law. Furthermore, the constitutional line between the courts and the state has been blurred in these 12 districts, giving executive officers the power to act as judges.
Legal battles and street protests
The federal takeover has set off a major political confrontation. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, calling the intervention an unconstitutional coup against their democratic mandate, has challenged the imposition of Governor’s rule and a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before the Peshawar High Court. Filed through advocate Ali Zaman, the petition requests the court to schedule an early hearing for the case.
The crackdown has failed to halt opposition activity despite a security lockdown and the arrest of several senior PTI figures, including the ousted provincial Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi. The party says it will press on with its planned “long march,” pointing to a tense standoff on the streets and a lengthy battle in the courts.
Copyright YeJahan News Network, 2026
