Live updates: Governor’s rule in KP

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has issued production orders for three more Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members of the National Assembly (MNAs), directing that they be brought to attend the house session.

The production orders have been issued for Mian Ghaus Mohammad, Adil Bazai and Mohammad Jamal Ahsan.

The speaker has also declared the lodges of all three detained lawmakers at Parliament Lodges as sub-jails.

The orders direct that the three MNAs be brought to the National Assembly session.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law Department has directed all administrative departments to remove legal advisers appointed during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, with fresh appointments planned to ensure the smooth handling of government affairs following the imposition of governor’s rule in the province.

In a letter sent to administrative secretaries, the department instructed them to immediately de-notify the legal advisers working with their respective departments and inform the Law Department once the process had been completed.

The advisers had been appointed on the recommendation of a scrutiny committee at the Advocate General’s Office for the period from November 11, 2024, to September 17, 2026, according to the letter.

Fresh appointments planned

Aamir Javed, legal adviser to the Governor’s Advisory Council, told Geo News that new lawyers would soon be appointed to government departments, following a process similar to that used by the Advocate General’s Office.

He said the appointments would be made on merit and that lawyers removed under the latest decision could also be considered if they met the required criteria.

The Law Department’s letter said fresh appointments would be made promptly to ensure that routine government business continued without disruption.

The move marks a change in the legal representation of provincial government departments, with the authorities preparing to replace the advisers appointed during the previous administration.

The letter directs administrative departments to complete the de-notification process and report back to the Law Department. It does not specify a deadline for completing the new appointments.

Two arrested PTI lawmakers, Sanaullah Masti Khel and Dawar Kundi, have been shifted to the Parliament Lodges following the issuance of their production orders.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had issued production orders for both lawmakers. A notification has also been issued allowing the two MNAs to attend sessions of the National Assembly.

Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas has likened the imposition of emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to martial law, alleging that the Centre has taken the wrong path.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament alongside Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai and others, Abbas criticised the federal government's decision to impose the emergency measures in the province.

"Understand governor's rule or emergency as martial law," he said.

The opposition leader also drew a comparison between October 12 and October 11, saying that on October 12, a party enjoying a two-thirds majority was sent packing. He was referring to the PML-N government, which was overthrown in a military coup.

Parliament on Thursday ratified the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by a majority vote during a joint sitting, following debates by treasury and opposition lawmakers.

Both resolutions were moved by the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhary.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has questioned how militants belonging to proscribed organisations returned to Pakistan after military operations, alleging that some Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members were responsible for developments that allowed the militants to re-enter the country.

Speaking during a joint sitting of parliament on Thursday, DPM Dar recalled that Operation Zarb-e-Azb had forced some militants to flee Pakistan, while others went into hiding within the country.

He questioned who had opened the borders to allow militants to return and which government had authorised their release from prisons.

Dar also referred to the release of members of the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) following engagements in Kabul.

The deputy prime minister said all political parties had jointly formulated the National Action Plan (NAP), which was revised during the PTI government.

"How many more times will we allow our soldiers and our children to be martyred?" Dar asked, stressing that Pakistan paid a heavy price in its fight against terrorism.

"If we do not tackle terrorism now, when will we?" he added.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman attempted to restart political dialogue over the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told him matters had gone too far.

Speaking during a joint sitting of parliament on Thursday, Dar said Maulana Fazl contacted the prime minister early in the morning and expressed his intention to meet him to make another effort to resume talks.

According to Dar, the JUI-F chief offered to help restart negotiations. However, the prime minister told him the situation in KP had reached a point where a cabinet meeting had already been convened.

Dar said the prime minister had urged the JUI-F chief to take account of the prevailing circumstances in the province.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar has defended the imposition of an emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying the measures were taken in accordance with the Constitution.

Speaking during a joint sitting of parliament on Thursday, Dar rejected objections that the move was unconstitutional, saying the National Assembly and Senate had approved the relevant resolution under Article 232 of the Constitution.

"We have fulfilled all constitutional requirements under this article," he said, insisting that the government had followed the constitutional procedure in taking the decision.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday read out five points of a proposed agreement between the government and opposition during a joint sitting of parliament, outlining measures to facilitate political dialogue and address constitutional and legal matters.

The first point called for a meeting between the prime minister and the opposition leader to move constitutional matters forward.

Under the second point, a political committee comprising representatives of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the government would be formed to discuss all outstanding issues.

The third point sought to ensure legal rights, including access to medical treatment and meetings, while the fourth proposed considering requests for sentence reductions for elderly prisoners.

The fifth point called for the implementation of National Action Plan-II, which Naqvi said had been introduced during the PTI government.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the government has initially imposed governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for six months. However, a further decision will be made after reviewing the situation.

“After that [period], it can be reviewed for another two, three or six months,” Khawaja Asif said while speaking to the media outside the National Assembly.

Asif said there had so far been no signs of protests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He asserted that the government had made its best efforts to engage in dialogue with PTI, but they had walked away from the talks.