• PTI says courts, parliamentary boycott, protests outside embassies on the table
• TTAP wants long march to go ahead; Gohar says extraordinary measures ‘not a solution’
• JUI-F chief refuses to accept govt decision, accuses Centre of ‘going back on its word’
• Jamaat, Awaam Pakistan urge govt to reverse decision
ISLAMABAD: Describing the move as an assault on democracy, the opposition parties on Sunday rejected the federal government’s decision to impose governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and vowed to challenge it in courts and public forums.
In a statement, the PTI said the decision had set a dangerous precedent and was an act of political victimisation and an attempt to weaken the elected provincial leadership.
It demanded the release of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar, while also asking the federal government to disclose publicly the legal grounds, specific charges and procedural basis for the arrests.
The Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP), meanwhile, announced that it would challenge the governor’s rule through the courts, assemblies, and public forums, while the PTI protest march would go ahead as planned.
Addressing a press conference with TTAP leaders, PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said governor’s rule and an emergency would not resolve the province’s problems, stressing that counterterrorism efforts required a unified strategy developed through political consensus.
He rejected allegations that the KP government had failed to cooperate with the federal government in tackling terrorism, saying the provincial administration remained committed to eliminating the menace. He said federal interference had weakened the provincial government’s authority, adding that sidelining an elected chief minister was inconsistent with democratic principles.
PTI leader Salman Akram Raja said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had taken a clear position and that the provincial government could not grant the federal government unrestricted authority to undertake whatever measures it considered appropriate.
“We cannot give anyone written permission to do whatever they want and then endorse it,” he said.
He claimed that the talks had been progressing satisfactorily and that the imposition of an emergency was a hasty decision. He also cited Senator Kamran Murtaza as saying that negotiations were moving in the right direction.
Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said Pakistan was a federation whose provinces were united under a single Constitution, and criticised the treatment meted out to the PTI.
He said the party could not support military operations in which ordinary citizens became victims, stressing that counterterrorism measuresmust protect civilians and contribute to lasting peace.
PTI mulls response
Meanwhile, PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram told Dawn that the party was considering three options, including the boycott of parliamentary proceedings, in light of the governor’s rule.
These options would be discussed at the meeting of the parliamentary party, he said, adding that the final decision would be made by the political committee.
A PTI leader, requesting anonymity, said the party realises that protests and court challenges would not affect the government.
He said the foreign chapters of the PTI were suggesting that protests be held outside the embassies and approaching the UN and other rights organisations, adding that the party could do this in phases.
Fazl against move
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman said his party rejected the entire decision “word for word”.
At a news conference held at his residence after the emergency meeting of the central core committee, the veteran politician said his party would challenge the decision through all available democratic and constitutional forums, including in the public, parliament, and courts. “We are not prepared to bow, even for a moment, before such unconstitutional measures,” he added.
He claimed the government and the opposition sought his intervention to break the deadlock, adding that the protest march did not move towards Islamabad at his request.
He also described his interactions with the government and the opposition to find a solution to the political crisis, saying he met the premier twice to help the negotiation process proceed. He said the PTI was willing to call off its protest if the government was ready to accept its demands and he had relayed this to the PM, who said the matter would be taken up in a meeting of the federal cabinet.
However, DPM Ishaq Dar later telephoned him during the cabinet meeting and informed him that the government wanted to impose an emergency because of the security situation, he claimed.
Maulana Fazl accused the government of reneging on its commitment despite agreeing to the proposed course of action. He expressed regret that the PPP was undermining the Constitution and democracy, adding that the party had imposed governor’s rule on four occasions. About his future course of action, he said, “We can stage protests separately as well as jointly with the PTI.”
JI, Awaam Pakistan reject decision
Moreover, the decision was also denounced by the PTI’s Kisan Wing, Awaam Pakistan Party, and JI in separate statements, with all of them asking the government to reverse the controversial decision.
Awaam Pakistan leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the move represented a complete negation of democracy and the Constitution, worsening Pakistan’s fragile economic and security risks. While addressing regional terrorism was essential, solutions must be pursued through constitutional and democratic processes rather than resorting to such alarming, undemocratic measures, he said, hoping political wisdom would prevail.
Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2026
