Key points:

  • The President has signed the federal government’s recommendation to impose a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
  • PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan denounced the decision as a serious political misstep, insisting that the province’s elected mandate must be honoured.
  • Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ally, Abdul Qaiser Khan, urged the immediate implementation of the peace jirga resolution alongside the emergency decree.
  • The move deepens the rift between Islamabad and the provincial administration, raising concerns over democratic stability in the region.

The federal cabinet’s emergency recommendation for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received presidential approval on Tuesday, giving the centre authority to suspend certain civil liberties and assume direct control over provincial institutions. The step was presented as a response to escalating security challenges and alleged governance failures in the province, which has been under PTI’s leadership since the 2024 general elections.

PTI’s chairman, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, reacted sharply, branding the emergency order a “grave political mistake.” He argued that bypassing the province’s democratically elected government undermines the constitutional principle of provincial autonomy and could erode public confidence in the nation’s democratic framework. Gohar stressed that the KP electorate’s mandate, secured with a clear majority for PTI, should not be sidelined by a top‑down federal intervention.

Adding his voice to the criticism, former federal minister Abdul Qaiser Khan called for the swift enactment of the peace jirga resolution that was agreed upon earlier this year to address tribal disputes and curb insurgency. He warned that ignoring the jirga’s outcomes while imposing an emergency could exacerbate tensions in the mountainous districts, where local consensus mechanisms remain vital for peace. The combined opposition from PTI leaders highlights a growing discord between Islamabad and the provincial government, with analysts cautioning that the emergency could set a precedent that weakens the balance of power envisioned by Pakistan’s federal structure.