According to Sanaullah, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and the PTI leadership needed to clarify their position on counterterrorism efforts.

The federal government has completed preparations for imposing governor’s rule or an emergency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Friday, adding that the provincial government must decide whether to cooperate with Islamabad in counterterrorism efforts.

Speaking on a private television programme, Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, Chaudhry said the federal government and law enforcement agencies were determined to eliminate terrorism in the province and urged the K-P government to join the effort.

“If the provincial government stays away from this effort, the other option would be to impose an emergency and eliminate terrorism and terrorists from the province once and for all,” he said.

The minister clarified that the proposed emergency would apply across the entire province rather than being limited to 12 districts.

Emergency Plan Not Linked to PTI Long March

Chaudhry rejected suggestions that the proposed emergency was connected to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned long march towards Islamabad.

He said the government had previously dealt with lengthy protests and marches towards the federal capital and had made preparations to manage the PTI’s current demonstration.

“This long march is neither a threat nor a problem,” he said.

The minister did not provide a timeline for imposing an emergency but maintained that the federal government had reached a final decision on the need for decisive action against terrorism in K-P.

“I cannot give you a day or date, but a final decision has been made that decisive action to eliminate terrorists in K-P is inevitable,” he said.

Sanaullah Calls for K-P Government’s Cooperation

Earlier, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the possibility of governor’s rule or an emergency in K-P was linked to counterterrorism cooperation rather than the PTI’s long march.

Speaking on a private television programme, Naya Pakistan, Sanaullah said the situation could be resolved if the provincial government and PTI leadership publicly committed to working with the federal government and law enforcement agencies against terrorism.

He said negotiations appeared to be approaching a deadlock because the PTI was unwilling to abandon its long march and accept the government’s offer of talks.

According to Sanaullah, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and the PTI leadership needed to clarify their position on counterterrorism efforts.

He added that the outcome of the long march would not change the federal government’s position if the provincial leadership did not make the required commitment.

Sanaullah also referred to recent statements by the K-P chief minister opposing military operations in the province.

He said the proposed measures would involve intelligence-based operations and would not necessarily require evacuating districts or relocating residents.

“Imposing an emergency certainly does not mean that those districts will be evacuated and people turned into internally displaced persons (IDPs),” he said.

K-P Law Minister Rejects Allegations of Non-Cooperation

K-P Law Minister Aftab Alam expressed concern over what he described as conflicting statements from federal ministers regarding the possible imposition of governor’s rule or an emergency.

Alam said some federal officials had linked the proposed measures to the PTI’s long march, while others had cited the provincial government’s alleged lack of cooperation on counterterrorism matters.

He accused certain quarters of attempting to build a narrative against the K-P government and rejected suggestions that the provincial administration was not committed to fighting terrorism.

“Our stance is clear: this war is ours even before it is the federation’s,” he said.

The provincial law minister maintained that the PTI and the K-P government supported law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism. He also said the provincial government had strengthened the police.

“Our mission is very clear, and it is being deliberately made controversial,” he added.

Governor’s Rule Debate Intensifies Amid Political Tensions

The possibility of imposing governor’s rule in K-P has become a major source of tension between the federal and provincial governments.

On September 21, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the government was consulting the Law Ministry on legal options for the province, including governor’s rule. However, Information Minister Atta Tarar subsequently said the federal government had no intention of removing the PTI-led provincial administration.

Other federal ministers have also discussed the constitutional and legal options available to Islamabad, while Chief Minister Afridi has rejected warnings of federal intervention and vowed not to retreat under pressure.

Amid the escalating tensions, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the president formed a committee to negotiate with the PTI and other opposition parties over the planned long march. The government also expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in K-P.

Negotiations continued for two days, with both sides initially appearing close to an understanding. However, disagreements over counterterrorism operations in the province and other demands eventually stalled the process.

The government blamed the K-P administration, particularly Chief Minister Afridi, for the breakdown in talks. The PTI, meanwhile, maintained that the negotiations collapsed because the government refused its demand for a meeting with the party’s founder.

Following the failure of negotiations, Afridi began leading the PTI’s long march towards Islamabad, further escalating the political confrontation.

On Friday, the march entered its sixth day as the convoy moved towards Charsadda. Prime Minister Shehbaz renewed his offer of talks, urging the PTI to end its march and sit-ins, but the party rejected the proposal as the demonstration continued.

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