State of emergency in KP: Joint sitting to adopt resolution today

ISLAMABAD: A joint sitting of Parliament is scheduled to adopt a resolution today (Thursday) to endorse the state of emergency declared by the President in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned a joint sitting of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) for today (Thursday), October 15, at 11:00 am.

According to a notification issued by the National Assembly Secretariat on Wednesday, the President summoned the joint sitting in exercise of his powers under Article 54(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

According to the Constitution of Pakistan, the President must summon a joint sitting of both Houses of the Parliament within 30 days after declaring an emergency.

An emergency declared under Article 232 cannot continue beyond two months without approval of Parliament.

The emergency as declared by the President will expires after two months unless a joint-sitting of the Parliament approves it through a resolution.

The emergency can end earlier if a resolution rejecting it is passed by a majority of the total membership of joint-sitting of both Houses of the Parliament.

Under Article 232(7), a proclamation of emergency ceases to be effective after two months unless it is approved by a resolution of a joint sitting of Parliament before the expiry of that period. It may also cease to have effect if the joint sitting passes a resolution disapproving the proclamation by a majority of the total membership of both Houses.

Under Article 232(7), “A Proclamation of Emergency shall be laid before a joint sitting which shall be summoned by the President to meet within thirty days of the Proclamation being issued and,

(a) shall cease to be in force at the expiration of two months unless before the expiration of that period it has been approved by a resolution of the joint sitting; and

(b) shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph (a), cease to be in force upon a resolution disapproving the Proclamation being passed by the votes of the majority of the total memberships of the two Houses in joint sitting.”

If the President imposes Governor’s Rule in any province under Article 234 of the Constitution, there is no need for a resolution to be passed by the National Assembly, Senate and a joint sitting of Parliament.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026