Federal cabinet gives nod to imposition of emergency in KP; summary sent to president

[mythbuster]

Ik and PTI is burnt to ashes , there will be no rise of the phoenix....... cultists will have to find a new cult hero ....I suggest some pop singer shall be given a chance next time.

 

[Master Chief]

Are you comparing fighting TTP and BLA to war with Russia and Germany now? We are that weak?

Ye eik SHO ki maar hay.

I understand what you're trying to say but one must remember that India is the fundamental existential threat. India is quiet for now while its Afghan enablers willingly sacrifice their lives at the altar of Golwalkarian ideology.

India cannot harm you when you are at full strength and focused. It learned that last year, hence India will wait patiently.

They are indeed an incorrigible qom, as we were once warned.

 

[Desprado123]

Problem the biggest is that there is no one to lead after or capitalise on Imran Khan death. There is no one and at the end everyone dies. Therefore Imran Khan political legacy is orphan and he might never leave jail alive and it is all due to Imran Khan himself, his family and social media.

 

[Owaiz]

Was Pakistan ever a democracy? Why did IK have problems accepting the VONC, is not that a democratic process?



You underestimate the thuggery of PMLN.

The tragedy is that democracy was always subverted - which is why things came to this pass. As for the vote of no confidence, it was not part of an organic political process. There were multiple ways it could have been handled, but if PMLN itself was claiming 2018 elections were rigged, what was wrong about going to the people to get a fresh mandate from them ? In retrospect, PTIs fears over regime change turned out to be well-founded.

 

[Distant_Observer]

PTI strategy post VONC:

• Collaborate with Indian/taliban proxies for attacks on the military and police.
• Disrupt major foreign office events such as SCO gatherings etc
• Through their foreign based pity visa endangered activists, afghan, indian and russian social media bots, to create propaganda against the state.
• Attempt to block the money flow to the country such as remittances, investments and requests for economic sanctions.
• Create mass civil unrest.
• Manufacture economic, social and political failure so they can present IK as the saviour.

 

[VectorZero]

situation looks bad in bara.

 

[ziaulislam]

Having 2/3rd majority is not a green light or a license to go around and try to prove you haven't matured and still can harm the national interest and harmony. Nawaz wanted to be a Ameer Ul Momineen if you remember.

I am sure the way PTI conducted itself, they would have just wasted the 2/3rd majority in center.

But who decides that? You? Who decides what harms the nation

I mean by your definition Muhammad ali jinnah, fatima jinnah, Hussain sarwadey all harmed the nation

 

[iron shrapnel]

situation looks bad in bara.

Least we could expect.... There should be a lot more of this... Expecting more when Afghans are deported

 

[Blain2]

This should lay to rest all of the back and forth here. PTI is out of the driver's seat. Now the task is with the Center. IF they don't get the terrorism handled (~260 attacks year to date in 2026), then the blame is on them.

The KP impasse​

Arifa Noor Published October 13, 2026 Updated about 10 hours ago
The writer is a journalist.

SUNDAY brought what was being whispered about in Islamabad for days: the dismissal of the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The whispers had turned into news by Saturday.

All day long, the mainstream media kept reporting on the possibility of an emergency, adding that the prime minister would hold a cabinet meeting on Sunday morning to make the ‘final’ decision. But by Saturday evening, there were many other meetings as politicians from the government and opposition sides met or held consultations publicly and behind the scenes. These were last-ditch efforts to avoid taking a ‘painful decision’.

There was little clarity on what the outcome of these comings and goings would be. Apart from the government and PTI, the JUI-F, too, had jumped into the fray and offered to mediate between the two sides. In fact, on Sunday morning, channels reported that the prime minister called Maulana Fazlur Rahman during the meeting, creating the impression that some last-minute deal was being thrashed out. But clearly, these were red herrings, for soon it was announced that both an emergency and governors’ rule had been imposed. It later transpired that the call was simply to inform the maulana about the decision. The cabinet meeting was followed by a bunch of ministers, including of law and interior, holding a press conference to justify their decision. They all looked a bit glum; perhaps they hadn’t slept much.

The PTI’s reaction was muted as it was limited to social media. It seemed as if the television channels were not covering what was happening in KP; neither did they report on the fate of the PTI leadership. Social media posts claimed that the chief minister, Sohail Afridi, as well as other officials, including the KP Assembly Speaker, had been picked up. However, the number of those picked up or arrested is not known; there is little reporting on the issue and the government isn’t willing to provide details. It seems the party’s coverage on the mainstream electronic media is being limited.

By the evening, an advisory council had been put together, in which individuals were given portfolios. It also held a meet-and-greet session with the governor. From the details provided about the people and their portfolios, it seems that far more time had gone into the decision than a mere 24 hours. This is something that was lent more credence by the press conference by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who alleged that the government had backed out of talks.

Governance by a technocratic administration in KP will help the PTI retain its popularity.

Interestingly, the federal government has imposed an emergency as well as governor’s rule. The logic is hard to understand, though one lawyer suggested it may be because governor’s rule has a time limit while an emergency endorsed by parliament doesn’t. The federal government didn’t want a time limit or to leave the PTI government in place; hence, it used both. And with the kind of administrative measures taken, along with the cabinet announced, it doesn’t seem the new set-up is here for a short time.


In the coming days, there will be much hand-wringing over the role of the PPP and the PML-N in dismissing a democratically elected government. But perhaps this is the price they had to pay to keep enjoying power without mandate. The two parties had got off the democracy train some time ago. At the moment, there is little likelihood of them getting back on. But this is not to say they can’t clamber back on; after all the party that has opposed Sunday’s decision unequivocally is the JUI-F, which was once part and parcel of a set-up introduced by Gen Musharraf.

In the land of the pure, parties find new positions quickly. They discover democracy again and again and again. It is a bit like some of us enjoy returning to the same books again and again; the familiarity is what makes it comforting. However, what will not be easily forgotten is this notion of political parties based in Sindh and Punjab adding to the instability facing the other half of Pakistan — Balochistan and KP, which face the brunt of the violence.

Now on to the issue of terrorism, which allegedly led to the decision to dismiss the KP government. Terrorism’s reincarnation in KP is a complex subject. It cannot be tackled in an article on politics but suffice it to say that this new set-up will not have much impact on the violence in the province. This is partly because terrorism was provided as a justification for the decision to impose an emergency, and is not the reason behind the dismissal of the PTI government, and partly because the government’s argument contradicts itself — it blames the PTI for not providing the political ownership of the state’s effort against terrorism and then proceeds to replace an elected government with a technocratic set-up. How will this provide the much-needed ownership?

More serious still is the decision of the federal government and establishment to take over the province and directly assume responsibility for all that happens there. If in the coming weeks and months, terrorism does not subside, there will be no PTI to blame. The failure — if it is there — will be Islamabad’s and Pindi’s to own. The failure will not be one related to terrorism solely, but will also include governance matters, and the economic hardship faced across the country.

These are all issues the lengthy caretaker government in KP faced and apparently failed to resolve. For this is why a populace tiring of the PTI voted back the party with a two-thirds majority in the provincial assembly. And since 2024, the shenanigans of Ali Amin Gandapur and Sohail Afridi once again led to disenchantment among the KP voters. However, governance by a technocratic administration will once again help the PTI retain its popularity, even though its second-tier leadership will face hardship, including arrests or kidnapping. But once these subside, the party might just flex its muscles to return to power.

Indeed, the weekend’s developments have brought no resolution to the political crisis in KP. The merry-go-round continues.

The writer is a journalist.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2026

https://www.dawn.com/news/print/2036814

 

[Blain2]

Well, when you put it like that, it seems military establishment didn't actually learn any lessons from its past debacles. Instead, it used those debacles to permanently close remaining legal loopholes that could potentially become a challenge to its absolute dominance in Pakistan.

I was responding to it pragmatically and not questioning the absolute right or wrong as per the constitution.

The establishment learnt that it had a gap in terms of indemnity and they addressed it in the 27th amendment.

 

[Blain2]

Mr Imran Khan is a civilian who was elected to parliament, and then elected Prime Minister. He ruled according to the Constitution and was deposed using constitutional, though politically dubious, means. He and his party are now political prisoners.

Now let's compare to the khaki duffers who have ruled (ruined) Pakistan by the gun. Did any of them ever win an election ? Did they ever obey any court order ? Did they ever consult the people (Parliament) ? Did any of them obey the Constitution ?
Were they ever charged in any court and jailed for their crimes ??

No, never happened. There is no comparison between civilian leadership and the criminal dictators who come to power illegally and rule via oppression and murder.

Asim Munir's fate will be the same as all other dictator criminals of Pakistan. Those who refuse to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.

The point in bold applies to all those involved in Pakistani politics.

 

[Agnostic Muslim]

Dont get me wrong i stand with democracy( not the western liberal style), but there is simply no space for such adventures in a country like Pakistan, where there arent any instituitions nor the leaders capable of handling accountability by the masses

That might be acceptable if the Fauji leadership was at least as competent as some of the other autocratic institutions running places like China or Iran.

Take the example of Iran - despite also being a security State since the Islamic Revolutions and suffering under brutal sanctions and a brutal war imposed on it by Saddam’s Iraq, their human development indicators far outpace Pakistan, whether education, nutrition, healthcare etc.

What Pakistan has is the worst of all worlds - corruption, incompetence and a lack of political will to undertake any major structural reforms in the economy or institutions, made worse with the bickering between ethnically distinct provinces and the various parties/groups propped up by the Fauj to manipulate the political system and preserve their control.

The regimes in China and Iran did it the correct way - pick a system, formalize the system, and then let the system run, adapt and evolve to changing needs and requirements. Those countries can point to magnitudes more human development over the same time period as Pakistan.

The Fauj has given us neither democracy nor a competent autocratic system - we continue muddling along in a decrepit feudal, class/biradro based system that has kept most of the ills of colonialism.

 

[Blain2]

When people overran military installations on 9 May 2023 — they were branded as "terrorists" & convicted. When military establishment overruns civilian institutions — it is hero worshipped as "saviors".

There is a difference. In the first case, it was utter anarchy and blood was spilled. In the latter, it is constitutional overreach. Don't think anyone is being "praised" for being a savior. It is yet another chapter in Pakistan's political history.

 

[Blain2]

That might be acceptable if the Fauji leadership was at least as competent as some of the other autocratic institutions running places like China or Iran.

Take the example of Iran - despite also being a security State since the Islamic Revolutions and suffering under brutal sanctions and a brutal war imposed on it by Saddam’s Iraq, their human development indicators far outpace Pakistan, whether education, nutrition, healthcare etc.

What Pakistan has is the worst of all worlds - corruption, incompetence and a lack of political will to undertake any major structural reforms in the economy or institutions, made worse with the bickering between ethnically distinct provinces and the various parties/groups propped up by the Fauj to manipulate the political system and preserve their control.

The regimes in China and Iran did it the correct way - pick a system, formalize the system, and then let the system run, adapt and evolve to changing needs and requirements. Those countries can point to magnitudes more human development over the same time period as Pakistan.

The Fauj has given us neither democracy nor a competent autocratic system - we continue muddling along in a decrepit feudal, class/biradro based system that has kept most of the ills of colonialism.

Yet in every single "military dispensation", the economy has stabilized, reforms have been enacted (whatever came afterwards immediately discarded, repealed those reforms thus no long term sustained benefit), foreign relations stabilized, greater internal security etc.

Compared to normal Pakistani democracy, Pakistani autocracy has delivered more immediate benefits. I can support you on your point that in the long term it does not sustain growth but while the autocratic bureaucracy is in place, it delivers.

 

[Blain2]

Everyone has misunderstood military establishment

Its not some sort of deep state that has a different view of the country..this isnt KBG, mossad or CIA or RAW who are all patriots to their country

This is actually pretty straightforward people who think of one thing..how to make money and retire overseas(none of the above retire on islands )

Unlike the above they have no connection with the country they dont care about it, wont retire or live in it ..for them pakistan is an enterprise to make money and leave

Enterprise in north is minerals (kpk)
Enterprise in south is drugs (karachi)
And the one on west is oil smuggling (Balochistan)

They just create instability to keep the populace under control its self created permanent instability via own proxies of Taliban

Americans were right.. obviously

How many of the former chiefs have retired "overseas"? I can tell you, of the living ones, the oldest is Aslam Beg (In Pakistan), Asif Janjua (deceased in Pakistan), Wahid Kakar (Pakistan), Jehangir Karamat (in Pakistan), Pervez Musharraf (deceased, died in Dubai on account of a very rare health issue), Kiyani (Pakistan), Raheel Sharif (Pakistan) and even Bajwa is in Pakistan.

So where are all these retired overseas COAS?

The above is a case of ad-nauseam repeating the same canard over and over in the hope people will start believing it. Unfortunately many gullible do.