Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has called a provincial apex committee session in Peshawar on Monday to review the security situation. The possible deployment of army troops in 12 sensitive districts is expected to be a major item on the agenda. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has travelled to Peshawar for the session, which Kundi will chair and which senior military officers are set to attend, sources said. Decisions on security arrangements and troop deployment in the affected districts are anticipated.
The meeting follows a move by President Asif Ali Zardari, who issued an emergency and placed the province under governor’s rule on Sunday. The step removed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government as worsening security and rising tension between the federal government and the opposition party prompted the intervention.
Governor’s rule shifts power and brings army into law and order
Under the measures announced on Sunday, the province’s executive powers passed to the governor. An 11-member advisory council was also formed to oversee provincial affairs. Islamabad additionally approved the use of army personnel under Article 245 of the Constitution, enabling them to help the civil administration keep law and order.
The government has further announced a separate secretariat to manage administrative matters in the 12 districts hit hardest by terrorism. It will be headed by an additional chief secretary and will direct resources toward security and reconstruction.
Federal government cites militancy and provincial non-cooperation
The federal government has defended the emergency, alleging that the provincial administration did not cooperate adequately with Islamabad on counterterrorism. Naqvi had earlier said militant violence had risen sharply in recent months. He pointed to attacks on residents and security personnel as the reason for federal action.
On Sunday, Kundi chaired a special security meeting in Peshawar to examine law and order and the threat from militants. Participants stressed the need to strengthen the police, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other law enforcement bodies, with operational capacity identified as a priority. Kundi said the administration would back law enforcement agencies and security personnel in restoring peace, and he paid tribute to those killed in the fight against terrorism and to their families. He then called the apex committee session to coordinate the response to militancy.
PTI challenges emergency over mandate and provincial autonomy
The PTI has rejected both the emergency and governor’s rule. It accuses the federal government of undermining the electoral mandate won by the province and of eroding provincial autonomy. The party argues that counterterrorism policy should be shaped in consultation with political parties and the communities affected.
The PTI has also criticised how the federal government has handled security operations. It says talks on a coordinated strategy were already under way before the latest measures were announced. The federal government, for its part, maintains that extraordinary constitutional steps were needed because of the deteriorating security situation and what it describes as the provincial administration’s failure to deal effectively with militancy.
The apex committee is expected to determine the next steps on security arrangements in the province, particularly in the 12 sensitive districts.
