Muqam says Centre does not want governor's rule in KP

The federal government is not in favour of imposing governor’s rule or an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Federal Minister Amir Muqam said on Monday, but he warned that the province’s PTI government had lost control and that the security risks could not be ignored.

“We are not in favour of having governor’s rule or declaring an emergency in KP as politically it is not a good decision; however, on the one hand, you have politicians, and then there is the state. Politics can only continue if we still have control of the province,” Muqam, the minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, told a press conference, Dawn reported.

“Abandoned” province

Muqam said the provincial government had lost its writ and that “the security situation was deteriorating day by day”. He accused Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of having “abandoned” the province.

“There is no sign of the government in the province. The chief executive of the province stays busy with his one-point agenda,” he said, adding that government work in KP had come to a halt over the past two to two and a half months.

“If KP is overtaken by terrorists, then the rest of Pakistan would not remain free either,” he warned, saying the provincial government, federal government and armed forces “should be on the same page” on fighting terrorism.

Questions for the PTI

Muqam challenged the KP government’s commitment to counterterrorism:

• National Action Plan: “Why have you held only one meeting in the entire year?”
• Martyrs: “How many martyrs have you visited?”
• Police: he accused the government of trying to strip the police of their authority through the KP Police Act 2026

How the talks broke down

Muqam praised the opposition’s negotiators, saying they had been willing to find a solution. On Saturday, the two sides talked from 3pm to 3am, preparing three or four drafts, and at one point agreed to issue a joint statement, he said.

“Messages came in asking for clauses to be added and removed. In the end, we had a deadlock,” he said, adding that this “interference” began after 9pm. He called the collapse of talks “highly unfortunate”, but said “the door to talks is still open”.

The PTI has said the talks failed because the government refused to include access to Imran Khan in the agreement, and over differences on counterterrorism policy in KP.

“You will not be allowed to enter Punjab”

Muqam said the PTI’s long march, which began from Lakki Marwat on Sunday, would not be allowed into Islamabad. “What is this drama of proceeding with the march when you know fully well that you will not be allowed to enter Punjab?” he asked.

He added that it was the state’s responsibility not to leave KP’s people “at the mercy of terrorists”, and that “there is a constitutional way to provide them relief”, an apparent reference to governor’s rule.

On Sunday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to discuss the situation. A government source told Dawn that governor’s rule was being seriously considered.

Why it matters

The government’s message is mixed: it says it does not want governor’s rule, while keeping the option firmly on the table. As the PTI march moves towards Peshawar and terrorist attacks continue, the decision could come quickly. Read our report on Afridi rejecting emergency rule.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn.