ISLAMABAD (KASHMIR ENGLISH): A key meeting regarding the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has commenced at the Presidency, presided over by the President of Pakistan.
According to sources, the Prime Minister, key federal ministers, and security officials are participating in the meeting, while PPP leaders Naveed Qamar and Sherry Rehman have also arrived at the Presidency.
Sources state that reports from national security agencies are being reviewed, and a proposal to impose an emergency in 12 districts, including the merged districts, is under consideration.
According to sources, the proposal to exercise key federal powers for the protection of the public in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is being deliberated, and various options under Articles 232 to 234 of the Constitution will also be discussed.
Sources indicate that the meeting is likely to result in the approval of significant decisions concerning Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Preparations completed for emergency or governor’s rule in KP
Earlier, the federal government has completed preparations for the possible imposition of an emergency or governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, although the final decision is said to be taken.
According to sources, preparations include proposed large-scale transfers and postings of deputy commissioners, provincial secretaries and senior police officers across the province.
Sources say that an official notification of all these new appointments and transfers will be issued today after the constitutional measure comes into effect.
The sources said lists of proposed appointments for regional police officers (RPOs) and district police officers (DPOs) had also been prepared. Notifications for the administrative changes could reportedly be issued shortly after any constitutional measure takes effect.
A proposal to initially impose an emergency in 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is also under consideration, according to the reports. However, no formal notification announcing the imposition of an emergency or governor’s rule had been reported at the time of publication.
However, sources have confirmed that the entire issue of imposing emergency or governor’s rule in the province or not depends on the outcome of the negotiations between the opposition and the government delegation.
The decision to impose governor’s rule was being considered amid heightened political and administrative tensions between the federal government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government over security and counterterrorism measures.
The possibility of governor’s rule or an emergency has been discussed publicly by federal officials and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor in recent days. However, political parties and leaders have expressed differing positions on the proposed measures.
In view of the growing political confrontation and law and order problems at the provincial level, extraordinary measures are being planned at the federal level under the constitution.
The reported administrative arrangements are intended to prepare for a possible change in the province’s governance structure.
The sources said a proposal to initially impose an emergency in 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was also under consideration.
Earlier today, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam met in Peshawar to discuss the province’s overall law and order situation, the long march and other political matters.
In a joint statement, the two leaders thanked the public for rejecting the politics of chaos. The statement said the federal government would take all possible measures to ensure peace and development in the province.
It added that “the people of KP had grown weary of terrorism and the political group allegedly supporting disruptive activities.”
On the other hand, sources said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has summoned an important meeting on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s security situation for today at the Prime Minister’s House.
Senior federal ministers and top officials of the Ministry of Interior are expected to attend the meeting, where officials will brief the premier on the province’s security situation.
