Emergency Covers All KP, Law Minister Says

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has said that the emergency proclamation issued under Article 232 applies to the whole of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, not only to 12 districts affected by terrorism. He made the statement during a press briefing in Islamabad alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, as the federal government defended its decision to impose emergency measures and governor’s rule in the province.

The law minister said a special mechanism had been introduced for the 12 districts facing the most severe security pressure. According to him, extra administrative steps had been taken under the chief executive, including the creation of a dedicated secretariat to support those areas and coordinate official assistance.

Tarar linked the decision to what he described as a sharp rise in terrorist activity in the province. He said security incidents had increased by 195 percent, citing 8,600 attacks in the 2024-2026 period compared with 2,900 incidents between 2020 and 2024. The figures were presented as part of the government’s argument that the security situation required a coordinated national response.

The minister said counterterrorism efforts by federal and provincial institutions needed to be harmonised. He argued that separate approaches by different tiers of government could weaken the state’s response to terrorism and undermine public safety, especially in a province where police, security forces and civilians had come under repeated attack.

He also criticised the previous provincial administration, saying its approach had been non-serious and that political priorities had affected cooperation with the federal government. He said the centre had remained engaged with provincial authorities before the decision, but claimed the response from the province did not place national interest first.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the federal government had no political agenda behind the move and described the decision as part of a unified counterterrorism policy. He claimed that people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had welcomed the emergency measures because they wanted stronger action against terrorism and better protection from violence.

The development is likely to intensify political debate over federal authority, provincial autonomy and the constitutional use of emergency provisions. The immediate next steps will depend on how the federal and provincial institutions implement the measures, how opposition parties respond, and whether the government can show visible security improvements in the province.