ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and discuss possible constitutional and legal options, according to sources.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Rana Sanaullah attended the meeting.
Sources said participants discussed the law and order situation in the province, while Tarar briefed the meeting on legal and constitutional matters concerning KP.
According to sources, the prime minister was briefed that the provincial government had failed to maintain law and order in the province. Shehbaz expressed concern over the prevailing security situation and directed that all stakeholders be taken into confidence before any final decision regarding KP.
The consultations come amid public speculation about whether the federal government could invoke emergency provisions or impose Governor’s Rule in the province.
Federal consultations over KP
The latest meeting followed earlier consultations by the federal government over the deteriorating security situation in KP and tensions with the PTI-led provincial administration.
The federal government has been considering different constitutional and legal options while also maintaining backchannel contacts with PTI leaders, sources said.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had earlier briefed the prime minister on the law and order situation, while Tarar provided input on constitutional and legal matters.
Sources said the prime minister had decided that relevant stakeholders would be taken into confidence before any decision was made and was also expected to consult President Asif Ali Zardari.
Government denies immediate move on Governor’s Rule
Tarar later said a high-level meeting at Parliament House was a routine consultation held ahead of the National Assembly session and had nothing to do with Governor’s Rule or emergency.
“This meeting had nothing to do with governor’s rule or emergency,” Tarar told reporters, adding that such meetings were regularly held before parliamentary sessions and that coalition partner PPP was also consulted on legislative matters.
However, the law minister said extraordinary constitutional measures could be considered if circumstances warranted and the relevant constitutional requirements were met.
He stressed that any such decision would be taken by the president or prime minister in accordance with the Constitution.
Security situation fuels debate
The federal government’s concerns have largely centred on the deteriorating security situation in KP. Federal ministers have accused the provincial administration of failing to adequately address terrorism and have questioned the utilisation of resources allocated for counterterrorism.
The criticism intensified following several deadly attacks in the province.
A September 18 attack near the old Police Lines in Kohat killed at least 21 people, including 15 police personnel, while more than 100 others were injured, according to officials.
On September 26, an explosives-laden vehicle targeted a checkpoint in Dera Ismail Khan’s Darazinda area. A subsequent FIR put the death toll at 14 and the number of injured at 35.
Three traffic policemen were also killed in an attack on a police vehicle in Tank on September 28, according to police.
The federal government has also linked the security situation to tensions with Afghanistan, accusing Afghan Taliban authorities of allowing militant groups to operate from their territory. Kabul has rejected the allegations.
PTI rejects federal allegations
The PTI-led KP government has rejected accusations that it has failed to tackle terrorism, arguing that the province’s police, citizens and political workers have suffered significant casualties.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has called for a new counterterrorism strategy involving the provincial government, administration and police.
He said his government had redirected Rs35 billion from development spending to the police and claimed that allocations for the force had been substantially increased.
The PTI has also maintained that its October 4 march on Islamabad will be peaceful. Party leaders have said their demands include access to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan and provision of medical treatment.
Emergency and Governor’s Rule
The debate has brought two separate constitutional mechanisms into focus: emergency under Article 232 and failure of constitutional machinery under Article 234, commonly referred to as Governor’s Rule.
Article 232 allows the president to proclaim an emergency where a grave situation involving war, external aggression or an internal disturbance beyond the provincial government’s ability to control threatens the security of Pakistan or a part of it.
Article 234 applies where the president, after receiving a report from the provincial governor, is satisfied that the provincial government cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution. It allows the president to assume certain provincial functions or direct the governor to exercise them on the president’s behalf.
It can also allow the powers of the provincial assembly to be exercised by or under the authority of Parliament.
Both mechanisms contain parliamentary oversight and time limits. An Article 232 emergency normally requires parliamentary approval to continue beyond its initial period, while an Article 234 proclamation requires approval for continuation beyond two months and cannot remain in force indefinitely.
The constitutional distinction is significant as the federal government considers its options. Article 232 concerns an extraordinary security emergency, while Article 234 addresses a situation in which the constitutional functioning of a provincial government is considered to have broken down.
For now, the government has not announced any final decision regarding either measure, with consultations continuing among senior officials and political stakeholders.
