The federal government is currently examining a range of constitutional options to handle the rising political and security tensions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to a highly placed source, the Centre may finally choose a mix of steps rather than depending only on emergency or governor’s rule.
When asked if the government was moving towards imposing emergency or governor’s rule in the province, the source replied that the basic conditions for both already exist. The official suggested that a combination of measures available under the Constitution could be applied instead of a single step.
These comments come at a time when relations between the PTI-led KP government and the federal authorities have become increasingly tense. Differences have grown especially over the security situation in the province and PTI’s decision to go ahead with its October 4 march towards Islamabad.
The federal government has already made it clear that emergency under Article 232 and governor’s rule under Article 234 are among the options being studied. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry recently stated that the government was seriously considering emergency in KP because of the provincial government’s alleged failure to control terrorism.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also said that if the situation required governor’s rule or an emergency under the Constitution, it would definitely be imposed. For the moment, however, the government has decided not to take either step immediately. It has chosen to give PTI one more chance to rethink its planned march and reduce the confrontational approach.
The latest reference to a possible “cocktail of measures” shows that the options under review may go beyond a simple choice between emergency and governor’s rule. The exact combination of constitutional steps is still not clear.
Under Article 232, an emergency can be declared when the security of Pakistan or any part of it faces a grave threat from war, external aggression or internal disturbance that the provincial government cannot control. Article 234 deals with the failure of constitutional machinery in a province. The two provisions carry different consequences. Under Article 234 the powers of the provincial assembly can be suspended, while Article 232 does not automatically do so.
The discussion reflects the serious concerns in Islamabad about the overall situation in KP and the need for a carefully balanced response.
