The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has warned that any move to impose governor’s rule in the province would provoke “a strong public response”, accusing federal ministers of using wrong police figures to justify the idea.
Speaking in Peshawar on Monday, KP Information Minister Shafiullah Jan said the federal government could not single out Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over law and order, Dawn reported.
“If law and order is being cited as a justification to impose the governor’s rule in KP, then the situation in Balochistan should also be examined,” he said.
He was accompanied by Tariq Saeed Marwat, the Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs.
‘Distorting facts’
Jan accused federal ministers of presenting incorrect police statistics to make the case for governor’s rule, and of “distorting facts” about the security situation in the province. He did not name the ministers concerned.
Instead of emergency measures, he called for a joint counter-terrorism strategy between the federal and provincial governments.
Spending on the police
Jan said the provincial government had increased its spending on the police to strengthen its response to militancy:
| Measure | Amount |
|---|---|
| KP police budget | Rs191 billion |
| Special package announced by the chief minister | Rs35 billion |
Imran Khan and the security record
The minister also pointed to the record of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s founder, Imran Khan, recalling his opposition to drone strikes. He claimed that security had improved when Imran Khan was prime minister but had deteriorated after his removal from office in 2022.
What governor’s rule means
Under Pakistan’s Constitution, the federal government can impose an emergency in a province in certain circumstances, which can allow it to take over powers normally held by the provincial government, with the governor acting on the centre’s behalf. Such a step would sideline the elected PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PTI leaders have dared the government to impose governor’s rule, according to Dawn.
A tense backdrop
The row comes at a time of serious violence in the province and heightened political tension. Last week, an attack on a checkpoint in Darazinda, Dera Ismail Khan, killed 14 people, and in Khyber district, the chief minister has suspended the district police chief over the custodial killings of two men.
The PTI has also postponed its planned march on Islamabad to 4 October. In neighbouring Punjab’s Attock district, 41 schools have been closed for eight days to house police deployed to stop it.
What happens next
No formal move by the federal government to impose governor’s rule has been announced, and the debate has so far played out in statements from both sides. How the two governments handle security in the province, and the PTI’s march on 4 October, will shape whether the idea goes any further.
Why it matters
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on the front line of Pakistan’s fight against militancy, and the dispute over who controls its security affects millions of people. Jan’s warning makes clear that the province’s ruling party would resist any attempt to take power away from its elected government, setting the stage for a sharp political confrontation if the federal government decides to act.
This article draws on reporting by Dawn.
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