PTI's Ali Zafar terms governor's rule in KP 'political crisis disguised as security solution'; ministers defend move

In Islamabad, Senate members from both Treasury and opposition factions deliberated on the governor’s rule imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Ali Zafar describing it as a "political crisis disguised as a security solution". Federal ministers defended the move, which was carried out on Sunday due to the PTI-led provincial government's "deliberate disengagement" from the fight against terrorism.

Zafar argued that the Constitution must protect Pakistan rather than become a casualty during a crisis, and the emergency should not be used as a "political weapon". He emphasized that the Centre could not simply declare a provincial government's inability to function constitutionally, and stressed the need for legal basis, evidence, scope, and consequences to be evaluated by courts.

Opposition Senator Raja Nasir Abbas called October 11, when the emergency and governor’s rule were imposed in KP, a "black day" and accused the government of removing a democratic government elected with a two-thirds majority. He urged the immediate withdrawal of the imposition, warning that unnecessary violence could create hatred against the state among youth.