President, PM to meet soon on KP’s ‘precarious’ security situation
The federal government is preparing for high-level consultations over the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expected soon, according to sources.
The consultations are expected to examine the province’s current conditions, possible constitutional measures and the federal government’s future course of action.
Sources said the Presidency and Prime Minister’s House have expressed concern over the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and agreed on the need for high-level federal consultations.
The expected meeting between President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz will include detailed deliberations on the situation in the province, its current conditions and the possible way forward.
The discussions are expected to include constitutional and legal aspects of any potential federal intervention in KP.
Governor’s Rule, emergency options
Sources said various constitutional options, including the possibility of imposing Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are expected to be considered.
The constitutional procedure for potentially imposing an emergency in the province is also likely to be discussed, amid wider debate over the federal government’s response to security and governance challenges in KP.
A decision is expected on seeking constitutional opinions regarding Articles 232 through 234 of the Constitution. These provisions cover emergency measures and the constitutional machinery of a province.
Legal experts’ views to be considered
The meeting is also expected to include discussions on the views of constitutional and legal experts before any major step is considered.
The purpose of seeking such opinions would be to examine the legal framework, constitutional procedure and possible implications of the different options under consideration.
No final decision on imposing Governor’s Rule has been established in the reporting available so far, with the matter remaining under consultation.
