- Federal govt considers constitutional options to address KP crisis.
- Source says conditions for emergency and governor’s rule exist.
- Govt may opt for a combination of constitutional measures in KP.
ISLAMABAD: The federal government is considering a range of constitutional options to deal with the escalating political and security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with a highly placed source suggesting that the Centre may ultimately opt for a “cocktail of measures” rather than relying exclusively on either emergency or governor’s rule.
Asked whether the government was heading towards imposition of emergency or governor’s rule in KP, the source said: “In my view, essential conditions of both are there. There may be a cocktail of measures provided in the Constitution.”
The remarks assume significance against the backdrop of an increasingly strained relationship between the PTI-led KP government and the federal government and establishment, particularly over the security situation in the province and PTI’s decision to proceed with its October 4 march towards Islamabad.
The federal government has already publicly indicated that emergency under Article 232 and governor’s rule under Article 234 are among the constitutional options being examined. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry recently said the government was “seriously considering” emergency in KP, citing the provincial government’s alleged failure to control terrorism.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had also said that if circumstances existed or arose in which the Constitution required governor’s rule or an emergency, “it can and will definitely happen”.
However, the government subsequently decided, for the time being, not to invoke either measure immediately and instead give PTI another opportunity to reconsider its planned march and change its confrontational political course.
The latest source’s reference to a possible “cocktail of measures” indicates that the options under consideration may extend beyond a straightforward choice between emergency and governor’s rule. The exact combination of constitutional steps, however, remains unclear.
Under Article 232, an emergency can be proclaimed where a grave emergency exists in which the security of Pakistan or any part of it is threatened by war, external aggression or internal disturbance beyond the power of the provincial government to control. Article 234, meanwhile, deals with a situation involving failure of constitutional machinery in a province.
The distinction is significant. Emergency under Article 232 and a proclamation under Article 234 have different constitutional consequences and procedures. Under Article 234, the powers and functions of the provincial assembly can also be suspended, whereas Article 232 does not, by itself, suspend the provincial assembly.
Originally published in The News
