Politics
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Peshawar district president Irfan Saleem has called for a protest in Peshawar on Monday, October 12, against the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in the province.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Peshawar district president Irfan Saleem has called for a protest in Peshawar on Monday, October 12, against the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in the province. According to a statement issued by the party, the protest will be held at 12 noon on GT Road in Hashtnagri, Peshawar. The statement said the demonstration would be held against the reported arrests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Khan Afridi, PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, and other party leaders and workers. However, the authorities have not yet confirmed these arrests.
Irfan Saleem appealed to the people of Peshawar, party workers, organisational office-bearers, parliamentarians, and party ticket-holders to participate in the protest in large numbers. He said the demonstration would remain peaceful and was intended to raise a voice against governor’s rule, the imposition of emergency measures, and action taken against the party leadership. The statement was issued by PTI’s Peshawar district organisation.
President Asif Ali Zardari has imposed governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and declared an emergency in 12 districts of the province on the recommendation of the federal cabinet. The decision was taken after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi submitted a report on the prevailing situation. As a result, the powers of the elected provincial government have been transferred to the governor. Faisal Karim Kundi will administer the province through an interim cabinet. This marks the fourth time governor’s rule has been imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The current situation is different from previous instances because an emergency has also been declared in 12 districts under Article 232 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Governor’s rule was previously imposed in the province in 1975, 1994, and 1999. The historical background of these measures includes political tensions, disagreements between the federal and provincial governments, and changes in government. The latest decision has sparked debate over the federal government’s administrative role in the province, the powers of the elected provincial government, and the prevailing law-and-order situation.
Governor’s rule was first imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 1975, when the federal government led by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto decided to impose emergency measures in the province. At the time, Hayat Muhammad Khan Sherpao, a prominent leader of the National Awami Party (NAP), was killed in a bomb blast while delivering a speech at the history department of the University of Peshawar. The incident intensified political tensions in the province. The National Awami Party was subsequently banned, and arrests were made. The events of that period had a profound impact on provincial politics and relations with the federal government.
Governor’s rule was imposed for the second time in 1994, amid political tensions between the federal government led by Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pir Sabir Shah was the chief minister at the time. According to the historical account provided, political manoeuvring against the provincial government involved the absence of assembly members and developments surrounding a no-confidence motion. Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao subsequently formed the provincial government.
The third imposition of governor’s rule occurred in 1999, when General Pervez Musharraf overthrew the PML-N federal government in a military coup. Changes were subsequently made to the provincial administrative structure. Mian Gul Aurangzeb, who was associated with the PML-N, was removed as governor and replaced by Lieutenant General (retd.) Muhammad Shafiq, who was assigned provincial administrative responsibilities. Lieutenant General (retd.) Syed Iftikhar Hussain was later appointed governor of the province. He administered provincial affairs with a cabinet of his own until a Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) government was formed in November and December 2002. The previous period of governor’s rule thus ended with the establishment of an elected provincial government.
Governor’s rule has now been imposed for the fourth time, suspending the government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi will run the province with the assistance of an interim cabinet. The decision represents a major change in the provincial administration and the distribution of executive powers, and has prompted political opposition to the move.
Alongside governor’s rule, an emergency has been declared in 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under Article 232 of the Constitution of Pakistan. The districts include eight areas that were formerly part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA): Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram, Orakzai, Bajaur, North Waziristan, Upper South Waziristan, and Lower South Waziristan. Four additional southern districts—Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, and Lakki Marwat—have also been included in the emergency measures. Under the administrative arrangement, the emergency will apply fully in the Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan Divisions, while its implementation will be partial in the Peshawar, Kohat, and Malakand divisions. The Hazara and Mardan divisions have been exempted. Consequently, the scope of emergency measures will vary across different parts of the province.
The imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the declaration of an emergency in 12 districts mark a significant change in the province’s administrative structure. The constitutional, political, and administrative implications of the decision are expected to become clearer in the coming days. The law-and-order situation, the powers of the elected provincial government, and relations between the federal and provincial governments are likely to remain central issues in the debate surrounding the decision.
