ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly and the Senate on Wednesday adopted the resolution approving the Proclamation of Emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issued by the President on October 11, amid protests by opposition members.
After a thorough discussion and debate on the resolution, both the houses of the Parliament endorsed it by a majority vote amid sloganeering and protests by the opposition members.
At the National Assembly, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry moved the resolution in the Lower House seeking approval of the Proclamation of Emergency issued by the President on October 11, 2026, in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the second proviso to clause (1) of Article 232 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
READ MORE: NA, Senate may endorse KP emergency, governor’s rule
Taking the floor, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said that presenting the Proclamation of Emergency before the House and obtaining its approval was a constitutional requirement.
He emphasised that the decision to impose an emergency had been necessitated by internal disturbances in the province and the provincial government’s lack of seriousness in dealing with terrorism.
Azam Nazeer Tarar said that 3,787 terrorist incidents had been recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past year.
He regretted that, instead of focusing on security challenges, the provincial government was prioritising political activities.
The law minister said the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had also complained that the provincial government was focusing on politics rather than counterterrorism.
He said the governor had apprised both the President and the Prime Minister of the situation through a letter.
Azam Nazeer Tarar said the constitutional option of imposing an emergency had been exercised as a last resort, following thorough deliberations, to protect the lives and property of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Speaking on the floor of the House, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif accused the PTI of failing to condemn terrorism, alleging that the party considered the Pakistani state its adversary while maintaining ties with the Afghan Taliban.
The minister alleged that KP’s provincial leadership had taken instructions from an individual based in Afghanistan. He also criticised the provincial government’s performance over the past 13 years, arguing that governance and law and order had deteriorated.
He said terrorism was the country’s most pressing challenge and stressed the need for the provincial government to support security forces fighting militancy.
He cited an increase in terrorist incidents, claiming that around 2,900 incidents had occurred during an earlier three-year period, compared with 3,700 incidents last year. He challenged the PTI to produce statements condemning terrorism or expressing solidarity with security institutions.
Referring to efforts to negotiate with militants, Asif said the interior minister had explained in the Senate how the dialogue process had failed. He criticised the opposition for its position on negotiations and security matters.
He warned against a return to the political unrest associated with the May 9, 2023, protests and attacks on state installations, saying such developments would not be allowed to recur.
He said the emergency would send a message to security personnel that the provincial government stood behind them in the fight against terrorism.
Concluding his remarks, he said the government was fighting for Pakistan and that the country’s interests remained its foremost priority.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan needed an economic long march instead of political marches, describing PTI founder Imran Khan as a convicted person in the £190 million case rather than a political prisoner.
He urged political parties to express solidarity with security personnel sacrificing their lives in the fight against terrorism, particularly along Pakistan’s western border.
Referring to the £190 million case, Iqbal alleged that funds returned by the United Kingdom had not been deposited in the national treasury but had instead been used to pay a fine imposed on property tycoon Malik Riaz. He challenged PTI leaders to explain their role in the matter.
Farooq Sattar said the imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had become inevitable in view of the province’s security situation.
The Upper House the Parliament also approved the emergency in KP shortly after the National Assembly passed the resolution.
The Senate had also seen strong reaction from the opposition lawmakers. “This is undemocratic—unconstitutional – unlawful,” said Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
The opposition lawmakers then staged a walkout from the Senate, which allowed the treasury side to have the resolution “unanimously” passed by the House in the absence of the opposition –after Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani held a voice vote to determine the will of the House—whether to accept or reject the resolution.
“No legitimate government can be formed if the military establishment continues to call the shots,” said Hamid Khan from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in his speech before the walkout.
“Democracy cannot flourish in a country that follows military rules,” he said.
“Some other plans are evident—in the garb of emergency and governor rule,” Khan added.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal’s (JUI-F’s) Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Maulana Atta ur Rehman took on the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
“When PPP was formed, it was against the dictatorship. Keeping in view the democratic traditions, it was not expected of PPP that it would resort to such measures,” he referred to the PPP’s support to the imposition of emergency in KP.
PPP’s Parliamentary Leader in Senate Sherry Rehman said that her political party participated in the negotiations between the government and the opposition as a mediator. “I was part of the negotiations—we stressed that every last option should be exhausted. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said ‘This is the last option for us,’” she said with reference to KP emergency imposition.
“Terrorism was at the top of the list in the negotiations—terrorism is a redline for us—don’t teach us democracy, we know what to do,” she said.
The Senate was adjourned till Friday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026