Peshawar: The opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayin Pakistan (TTAP) has petitioned the Peshawar High Court against emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, seeking their annulment and restoration of the elected provincial administration.
National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas were among the leaders who filed the challenge on October 16.
The petition questions whether the constitutional requirements for federal intervention were fulfilled and challenges the displacement of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and his cabinet. It also contests the KP Advisory Council and Area Development Secretariat.
Dawn reported that TTAP disputes the constitutional authority of these administrative bodies.
The alliance argues that emergency powers cannot bypass constitutional safeguards governing elected provincial institutions. Its petition asks the court to strike down the measures and restore representative government. These are the petitioners’ arguments, rather than judicial findings.
The federal government imposed emergency and governor’s rule on October 11, citing worsening law and order and what it described as the provincial government’s failure to cooperate adequately in counterterrorism efforts.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi subsequently assumed responsibility for provincial affairs, assisted by an 11 member advisory council. Parliament endorsed the measures during a joint sitting on October 15.
The legal challenge follows TTAP’s announcement that it would suspend negotiations until a meeting with imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan was arranged and information about his health provided. The Express Tribune reported that the alliance demanded withdrawal of the emergency measures while reiterating support for the National Action Plan against terrorism.
Separately, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan’s challenge is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on October 20. A hearing date for TTAP’s petition was not confirmed in the reports reviewed.
