Islamabad: Both houses of parliament approved the proclamation of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) by majority vote on Wednesday, despite opposition objections to the Centre’s intervention in the province.
The Senate endorsed the proclamation after its approval by the National Assembly earlier in the day. Opposition senators walked out in protest.
President Asif Ali Zardari subsequently summoned a joint sitting of parliament for 11 am on Thursday, October 15.
In the National Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry presented the resolution after the House voted to suspend question hour.
Defending the measure, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said internal disturbances, cross border incursions and the provincial government’s approach to counterterrorism had created a threat to national security.
He said the cabinet had assessed the security situation before recommending emergency measures on October 11.
During the Senate proceedings, Tarar rejected procedural objections, saying rules governing ordinary private members’ resolutions and their notice requirements did not apply to a resolution introduced to fulfil a constitutional requirement.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged renewed dialogue with PTI, saying he would ask Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to end the emergency if negotiations created conditions that made it unnecessary.
However, he blamed PTI’s provincial leadership for contributing to the crisis and defended the constitutional basis of the intervention.
Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai demanded the reversal of emergency and governor’s rule, saying the measures undermined the province’s electoral mandate.
He defended Sohail Afridi’s calls for protest and warned that disputes over provincial rights and resources could lead to similar intervention in Sindh.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called for political unity against terrorism while criticising the provincial administration’s priorities.
The Centre imposed emergency and governor’s rule in KP on October 11, citing alleged failures in counterterrorism coordination. Wednesday’s votes endorsed the emergency proclamation under Article 232; governor’s rule is a separate measure under Article 234.
