Governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is back on the table after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi discussed the option, amid reports that the federal government is losing patience after talks with the PTI broke down.
What Naqvi and Kundi Discussed
According to Dawn, the two leaders met on Sunday and agreed that the Governor’s House would play its constitutional role whenever the president and the prime minister consider it necessary to impose governor’s rule or an emergency in the province. The KP Inspector General of Police also attended the meeting.
A government source told the newspaper that the administration was seriously considering the step. The source said the government believed its demands for KP’s cooperation in curbing terrorism were genuine, and that there was no logic behind the PTI’s decision to walk out of the dialogue. The source described the imposition of an emergency as imminent.
Concerns Over the PTI March
Both officials voiced concern over reports that terrorists had crossed security checkposts during the PTI’s march on Islamabad, and criticised the provincial government’s stance on counterterrorism. They further flagged the alleged misuse of helicopters and other official resources by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi during the march, which they said violated a High Court verdict.
Ahead of the October 4 march, government and opposition negotiators had held talks in Islamabad chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, without a breakthrough. The PTI wants the release of its founder Imran Khan, and the government had already warned that the march could force it to impose governor’s rule or a state of emergency in KP.
Governor Kundi separately said that the security of the people remains the foremost priority, adding that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has made heavy sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.
What Happens Next on Governor’s Rule
No formal notification has been issued so far, and the report did not carry a direct response from the PTI or the provincial government. Any move to impose governor’s rule would need a formal decision at the federal level and is likely to be politically contentious.
Until the president and the prime minister decide, governor’s rule remains a possibility rather than a decision, and the next moves by both the federal government and the PTI will determine whether the province heads in that direction.
Read More: Oct 4 March Looms as PTI-Govt Talks Stall
