ISLAMABAD – Parliament’s joint sitting on Thursday approved a resolution endorsing the imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with 214 lawmakers voting in favour and 56 opposing the measure.
Members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) supported the resolution, while opposition lawmakers protested in the house and chanted slogans against governor’s rule.
The session, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, saw Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry move the resolution concerning the emergency and governor’s rule in the province.
Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and other lawmakers attended the sitting.
A day earlier, both the National Assembly and Senate had endorsed the imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At the beginning of the joint sitting, documents relating to the president’s proclamation of emergency were presented under Article 232(7) of the Constitution, while documents concerning governor’s rule were laid before the house under Article 234(3).
Following the presentation of the resolution, opposition members staged a protest and demanded a count of lawmakers. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar supported the demand, prompting the speaker to order a count. The resolution was subsequently approved by 214 votes to 56.
At the outset, Ayaz Sadiq also expressed sorrow over a tragic incident in Peshawar in which students lost their lives and called for prayers for the deceased. Following the resolution’s approval, the speaker opened debate on the matter.
Law minister defends constitutional process
Opening the debate, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the matter had been discussed in both houses of Parliament before being brought to the joint sitting in accordance with constitutional requirements.
He maintained that the Constitution provided procedures for administrative and legislative matters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that state affairs had to be conducted within the constitutional framework.
Tarar rejected criticism of the government’s decision and said some quarters were linking the move to October 12. He also referred to meetings of apex committees in Islamabad and Peshawar, citing terrorist attacks in Lakki Marwat, Tank and Bajaur on the same day.
The minister argued that during a crisis, state interests should take precedence over political considerations. He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor had sent a detailed letter to the president outlining the situation and including national security reports.
According to Tarar, the federal cabinet had recommended emergency measures and governor’s rule, following which the president approved the emergency in light of the reports presented.
He also said a decision had been made to allocate one per cent of the national GDP to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and claimed that Rs13 trillion had been provided to the province during the current year.
Opposition demands information about Sohail Afridi
Opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai called for negotiations with the government, urging political forces to agree that Parliament would operate in accordance with the Constitution.
He criticised the government’s approach towards Afghanistan and questioned its handling of security challenges in the tribal areas, asking why emergency measures had not been introduced when 1,200 tribal elders, religious scholars and local leaders were allegedly killed by militants.
Achakzai challenged those who portrayed Pashtuns as terrorists to prove the allegation, saying he would relinquish his seat if it were established. He also accused the authorities of attempting to take control of the province’s water and mineral resources.
Making negotiations conditional on information about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, he said his side would not enter talks until his whereabouts were established.
Achakzai added that Awami National Party leader Aimal Wali Khan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would support their position, along with people in Sindh.
Sherry Rehman says provinces cannot pursue separate foreign policies
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman criticised the opposition for invoking the possibility of martial law, urging its members to consider the hardships experienced during previous military regimes.
Speaking during the joint sitting, she said senior PTI leaders had not participated directly in negotiations, although Asad Qaiser and Barrister Gohar had expressed support for cooperation against terrorism.
Rehman argued that three of the opposition’s five demands had been accepted, but the party’s own leadership had undermined the efforts of its negotiating representatives by shifting towards calls for a long march.
She said negotiations concerning former prime minister Imran Khan’s medical treatment and legal access had also taken place, but the opposition’s negotiating committee lacked the authority to make final decisions.
Rehman stressed that no individual province could maintain an independent foreign policy, underscoring the need for a unified national approach to external relations and security challenges.
