Opposition leaders unite over emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Leaders from several opposition parties gathered at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in Islamabad to discuss the political situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the imposition of emergency measures and governor’s rule. The meeting brought together senior figures seeking a coordinated response to the transfer of executive authority from the provincial government.

The gathering was described by the host party’s media wing as a meeting of the united opposition. Participants included National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and the party’s chief whip in the lower house, Aamir Dogar.

The discussions focused on cooperation among opposition groups, constitutional supremacy, protection of democratic rights and a joint strategy for responding to the current political environment. The participants also considered their future course of action as political tensions surrounding the administration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue.

Other attendees included senators Noor-ul-Haq Qadri and Kamran Murtaza, former provincial chief minister Akram Khan Durrani and several senior JUI-F representatives. Members associated with the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan, PTI and other political organisations were also present, giving the meeting representation from multiple opposition platforms.

Governor’s rule and an emergency were imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11, shifting provincial executive powers from the PTI-led government to the governor. An 11-member advisory council was subsequently established to assist with administrative affairs, while the federal government introduced a separate arrangement for 12 districts involving local representatives and development councils.

The meeting marked the first joint effort involving both Fazlur Rehman and Achakzai to formulate an opposition response to those measures. Fazl has rejected the provincial emergency and accused the federal government of retreating from political negotiations after initially engaging with opposition parties.

His criticism has also produced a sharp exchange between the government and opposition inside Parliament. Federal ministers challenged Fazl’s position and referred to his previous involvement in political alliances, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi suggested that the JUI-F leader’s objections were linked to his exclusion from the new provincial arrangement.

PTI and allied opposition figures later expressed support for Fazl’s position in the National Assembly. They also condemned what they characterised as personal attacks by government ministers, indicating that the dispute over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s administration is likely to remain a central point of confrontation between the government and the opposition.