Federal Minister for Board of Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh has said the federal cabinet was initially prepared to give the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) another opportunity before it approved emergency rule in the province.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday, Sheikh said the decision followed consultations involving Deputy Prime Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who was acting as a mediator between the federal government and the provincial administration.
Cabinet weighed a second chance for KP
According to Sheikh, the cabinet was told during its first session that law and order in KP was worsening and that the provincial government was not cooperating with the federation. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi proposed giving the provincial administration another opportunity, and Sheikh said he and several other ministers backed the idea.
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The cabinet then paused so further consultations could take place. Sheikh said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chose to reopen discussions in pursuit of a political solution, and he added that Fazlur Rehman’s mediation and a possible change of KP chief minister had not been raised in that first session.
Mediation fails as cabinet reconvenes
Sheikh said the cabinet was later briefed that Dar had held talks with Fazlur Rehman as part of efforts to break the political deadlock. However, according to Sheikh’s account, Fazlur Rehman reported no breakthrough in his discussions with the PTI.
When the cabinet met again, Shehbaz told ministers that the efforts had not produced the desired result and that the government would have to proceed with emergency, Sheikh said. The cabinet then approved the move.
Governor’s rule replaces Sohail Afridi’s government
The decision paved the way for emergency and governor’s rule in KP on October 11, 2026. Under it, the PTI-led provincial government headed by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was suspended, and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi was given executive authority along with an advisory council.
The move came amid efforts to address political tensions between the federal government and the PTI-led provincial administration. Fazlur Rehman had been trying to mediate between the two sides, but his reported failure to secure a breakthrough came before the cabinet’s decision.
