Pakistan Approves Emergency and Governor’s Rule in KP

Pakistan’s federal cabinet recommended emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and President Asif Ali Zardari said he approved the measures on Sunday under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. The federal government also appointed Muhammad Fakhr Alam Irfan as the province’s chief secretary, according to an official notification. The President House confirmed the approval, while the Prime Minister’s Office said cabinet members had reviewed the security situation and cited what it described as the provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from counterterrorism efforts. That allegation was presented as the federal government’s rationale; the reports do not independently establish it. The accounts differ on the measures’ implementation status. Federal statements described the emergency and governor’s rule as approved or imposed, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi challenged the centre to formally announce them. The reports do not establish the final scope or implementation of the constitutional measures. An official notification said Irfan’s appointment took effect immediately and would remain in place until further orders.