Zardari declares emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, appoints Governor Kundi

President Asif Ali Zardari signed a proclamation in Islamabad on Sunday that placed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) under a state of emergency and declared the provincial government unconstitutional. The move, advised by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, removes the PTI‑led administration and installs Governor Faisal Karim Kundi of the Pakistan Peoples Party to run the province. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was detained the next day, and the provincial assembly was suspended.

The emergency comes after talks between the federal government and PTI collapsed over a planned march to Islamabad demanding the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the main reasons were law and order, fighting terrorism and protecting civilians from terrorist violence. The federal cabinet, including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Information Minister Ataullah Tarar, backed the decision. PTI has rejected the move, arguing it is unconstitutional and politically motivated.

Under the proclamation, Parliament now holds the powers of the provincial assembly, which had been dominated by PTI since 2013. The chief minister, ministers, advisers, special assistants and the advocate general are to cease holding office immediately. An eleven‑member advisory council will assist Governor Kundi, and the army, already stationed in the province, will support law and order. A separate federal order created a secretariat for 12 “designated districts” along the Afghan border, headed by an additional chief secretary whose orders carry the same legal effect as those of the provincial government. The order says these districts are “war‑hit” and need extra funding and focus.

Legal analyst Hassan Abdullah Niazi said the emergency does not permanently remove the KP Assembly or its elected chief minister. It is a temporary measure that will end once the emergency is lifted, after which the elected bodies must be restored. The arrangement could last until the federal government resolves security and political issues, but it raises concerns about the balance of power and the future of democracy in the province. The situation remains fluid as the federal and provincial governments negotiate a path forward.