The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday rejected the imposition of governor’s rule and emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accusing the federal government of undermining the province’s democratic mandate and derailing negotiations that party leaders said had been making progress. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad after a meeting with the joint opposition, party leaders said they remained willing to continue talks but would not give blanket approval to counterterrorism operations without consultation with political parties and local stakeholders.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja described October 11 as a “black day” in Pakistan’s history. He warned that governor’s rule in the province could deepen political alienation and lead to consequences similar to those seen in Balochistan. Raja vowed that the party would continue its resistance and urged people across the country to speak out against what he called an attempt to subjugate the population.
PTI leaders warn of Balochistan-style fallout
Raja drew a parallel with the dismissal of the provincial government led by Sardar Ataullah Mengal in Balochistan. He argued that political grievances and the use of coercive measures could have lasting effects. “When you sow hatred, it does not end easily; it bears poisonous fruit,” he said, adding that his party feared Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could follow a similar path.
Raja’s historical reference drew a correction from the record. He linked the Mengal government’s dismissal to the federal government led by then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, but historical records show that the government was dismissed in February 1973, when governor’s rule was imposed in the province, not on October 11.
Raja also called on Pakistanis to show their opposition to the government’s measures. He said even a relatively small share of the population taking to the streets could challenge the existing political order. “If even four to five per cent of you come out of your homes, this system will not hold,” he said. He added that the party stood with the people and expected to achieve its objectives eventually.
Talks, Parachinar agreement and the long march
Raja said negotiations had been moving toward a possible understanding before the government decided on emergency measures, which he said abruptly changed the situation. He said the party had sought implementation of security decisions already agreed, rather than introducing new demands. He pointed to the February 2026 Apex Committee meeting and a peace jirga resolution as the basis for future decisions on terrorism.
On the Parachinar agreement, Raja said the party’s position had always been that a joint strategy for operations was necessary. He argued that the government could not be given unrestricted authority to take any measures it chose and then expect the provincial government to endorse them. He said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had held the same position during talks, and that the PTI could not give written authorisation for unilateral action. The party said it supported efforts to eliminate terrorism but opposed any operation that could kill innocent civilians.
Raja said the talks had involved consultations with Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, and that Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other political leaders had also worked to make the process succeed. He said the discussions covered a proposed amendment to the Parachinar agreement and a mutually agreed framework for counterterrorism. According to Raja, the government instead demanded unconditional support for its proposed operations, which the PTI could not accept.
Raja said the government had not needed to impose emergency measures while talks were under way. He also said the long march announced by Afridi remained on track and could not be called off without a meeting with the jailed party founder, Imran Khan. The party has kept the door open to dialogue but says it will not abandon its position on the march or its opposition to the federal security policy.
Gohar Ali Khan questions arrests as opposition alliance objects
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan also rejected the emergency and governor’s rule, calling them an attack on provincial autonomy and on the electoral mandate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He asked why such measures had been taken in a province where the PTI holds a two-thirds majority in the provincial assembly. He also questioned the reported arrest of Afridi and the detention of the provincial assembly speaker, saying the party had tried other avenues, including parliament and the courts, without success.
Gohar said the party had held around 15 meetings with the government, followed by two days of negotiations, during which counterterrorism issues were introduced. He said the PTI had also objected to the arrests of party workers and the detention of Imran Khan’s sisters. He claimed that around 1,500 PTI workers were held in Punjab’s jails and alleged that three party ministers had been arrested after being fired upon. These claims were not independently verified at the press conference.
The Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP), an opposition alliance, also rejected the measures, describing them as unconstitutional and undemocratic. In a statement, the alliance said the decision lacked moral, legal, constitutional and democratic justification. It asked why similar steps had not been taken in Balochistan despite security and administrative challenges there, arguing that the federal government had applied different standards to the two provinces. The alliance warned that the move could damage the federation’s unity and said it would convene a meeting to decide its response.
Federal government cites security and constitutional articles
The federal government has defended the decision by citing a deteriorating security situation and what it described as the provincial government’s failure to tackle militancy effectively. It has said the step was needed to address security and improve the province’s administration. President Asif Ali Zardari approved the measures under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal cabinet.
The decision transfers provincial executive functions to the governor and places the province’s administration under an 11-member advisory council. The PTI has said it will continue its protest campaign and argues that peaceful mobilisation, constitutional rights and political consultation should guide the response. The two sides remain divided over the extent of federal authority in counterterrorism, the role of the provincial government and the conditions under which talks can resume.
