Shehbaz to chair meeting on possible emergency, governor’s rule in KP

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to chair a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss the prevailing political and security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the collapse of talks between the government and opposition teams.

The federal government is considering constitutional options, including emergency or governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid a long march led by KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

The government committee which held negotiations with the opposition would also be part of the discussions.

The committee is expected to brief the premier on the progress made in the talks and the reasons for their failure.

The meeting will review the overall law and order situation in KP and consider emergency, governor’s rule or other constitutional measures, according to sources.

The federal government has also decided to seek a report on the latest situation from KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.

The developments come a day after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Kundi at the Governor House in Peshawar to discuss the province’s security and political situation.

KP Inspector General of Police Zulfikar Hameed and Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah also attended the meeting, according to official information.

The meeting discussed the possibility of imposing governor’s rule or an emergency if the president and prime minister deem such measures necessary to protect the province from terrorism.

The Governor House said it would play its constitutional role in such a situation.

No final decision on the constitutional measures had been announced at the time of the reports.