Emergency and governor’s rule imposed in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — Dawn
Pakistan has imposed a state of emergency and governor’s rule in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the president approved the federal cabinet’s recommendations. Dawn reports.
The decision was made at an emergency meeting of the federal cabinet on Sunday, October 11. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was briefed on the security situation in the province.
A statement from the prime minister’s office said cabinet members reviewed the situation and drew attention to what they assessed as the deliberate removal of the provincial authorities from the fight against terrorism.
Constitutional provisions
The cabinet proposed that the prime minister advise the president to use constitutional powers and impose a state of emergency under Articles 232 and 234 of Pakistan’s Constitution.
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Article 232 provides for declaring a state of emergency in a province if the security of Pakistan or part of the country is threatened by war, external aggression, or internal disturbances that the provincial authorities are unable to handle. Its application requires a resolution of the provincial assembly. If the president acts independently, the emergency proclamation must be approved by both houses of parliament within 10 days.
During a state of emergency, parliament may pass laws for the province on matters not included in the federal legislative list. Article 233 also allows the president to suspend certain fundamental rights for this period.
Prime minister’s statements
Article 234 concerns the imposition of governor’s rule in the event of a breakdown of the constitutional mechanism in a province. As the outlet notes, the president requires a request from the provincial governor for this.
At the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif said he would not allow the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to destabilize the country’s economy. He also spoke about the deaths of civilians, police officers, and security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and said Pakistan had repeatedly urged Afghanistan to restrain terrorist elements.
