Panic In Pakistan As Cabinet Paves Way For Emergency In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Exclusive

Last Updated:October 11, 2026, 1:41 PM IST

On-ground preparations for a full federal takeover intensified rapidly across KP’s provincial capital

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. (AFP)

The Federal Cabinet approved a unanimous recommendation advising President Asif Ali Zardari to invoke Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, paving the way for immediate emergency rule and governor’s rule across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The high-stakes constitutional intervention, presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday morning, follows deadlocked political tensions and an absolute collapse in counterterrorism cooperation between the centre and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial administration.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strictly defended the move, stating there was “no room left” to bypass an emergency proclamation due to severe law-and-order decay. Intelligence files reviewed during the session detailed a 195 percent surge in regional terrorist acts since March 2024, accusing the KP government of deliberate detachment from state anti-terror strategies.

Defying the federal executive directive, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi challenged the center to formally execute the decree. “If you have the courage, openly announce an emergency or governor’s rule,” Afridi declared, labeling unannounced federal clampdowns a rebellion against the provincial mandate.

The PTI Core Committee officially rejected the proclamation. Chief Minister Afridi confirmed he has ordered the provincial police chief and the chief secretary to ignore any “unconstitutional or illegal orders” coming from Islamabad.

Afridi reaffirmed that state threats, mass arrests, and the sudden withdrawal of security protocols from PTI lawmakers will not halt their ongoing long march. The convoy continues to move forward, with the primary multi-stage strategy set to be unveiled at the Swabi Interchange on October 13.

On-ground preparations for a full federal takeover intensified rapidly across KP’s provincial capital. Heavy shipping containers have completely sealed off key entry points around the high-security Peshawar Cantonment area.

Additional shipping blockades have choked traffic along the historic GT Road, with barricades erected near Firdous and the outer perimeters of the Bala Hisar Fort to curb potential retaliatory political assemblies.

The cabinet’s extreme push proceeded despite a last-minute mediation offer from JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who held urgent backchannel consultations with PM Shehbaz to defuse the federal-provincial gridlock before the constitutional trigger was pulled.

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What constitutional articles did the cabinet approve to invoke emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?

The Federal Cabinet approved a unanimous recommendation advising President Asif Ali Zardari to invoke Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution to pave the way for immediate emergency and governor’s rule across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

How did Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi respond to the federal emergency decree?

Chief Minister Sohail Afridi challenged the center to formally execute the decree and ordered the provincial police chief and chief secretary to ignore unconstitutional or illegal orders from Islamabad, while confirming their long march will continue.

What security reasons were cited by the federal government for the intervention in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi defended the move due to severe law-and-order decay and a 195 percent surge in regional terrorist acts since March 2024, accusing the provincial administration of deliberate detachment from state anti-terror strategies.

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Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations and Security Affairs, Network18

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