PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday blamed the PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for the circumstances that led to the imposition of emergency in the province, terming it a “political suicide attack”.

He made the remarks while addressing the National Assembly, which is discussing the Centre’s measures of imposing emergency and governor’s rule in KP, for which it cited the provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the fight against terrorism.

The NA question hour session was suspended due to discussions on the emergency. Unexpectedly, opposition members are sitting calmly and staging no protest. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry tabled the motion regarding the proclamation of emergency, while Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar opened the discussion.

Bilawal began his speech by highlighting that emergency and governor’s rule in KP were measures taken under the Constitution.

Reading the relevant provisions, Bilawal asserted that the Centre tried its best to “engage the opposition so this step does not have to be taken”.

“They will have to accept, even if not publicly, but the responsible leadership of the opposition knows that the PTI itself carried out a political suicide attack on its KP government,” he remarked.

The PPP chief maintained that the PTI could not deny that its “leadership, particularly the provincial, had a key role in the political, constitutional and legal circumstances” present.

Bilawal emphasised that the PPP’s stance was that “before using this constitutional atom bomb, we must engage with PTI and the opposition and have to try to address the federal government’s reservations that they were not supporting them in the war against terrorism”.

‘Threat to national security’

Addressing the house, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday explained before the National Assembly that emergency was imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the security situation there was becoming a threat to “national security”.

Tarar noted that after the proclamation of emergency was issued, the Constitution’s Article 232 required that both houses of the parliament approve the measure.

Tarar recalled that the federal cabinet examined “material” regarding terrorism in the province during its Oct 11 meeting and then advised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to recommend the imposition of emergency.

He recalled that some people compared the measure to the emergency imposed by former dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf on Oct 12, 1999.

The minister particularly noted “internal disturbances” and cross-border infiltrations. He contended that the situation since Oct 15, 2025, when Sohail Afridi’s government came into power in KP, was “turning into a threat to national security to an alarming extent”.

He went on to highlight that there was a rise in terrorism in KP, especially after 2021, due to the approach of the provincial government.

“Perhaps there might be foreign, diplomatic and political reasons behind it, which got inflamed due to a political party’s point of view.”

Tarar stated that 2,911 incidents of terrorism took place between 2021 and 2024 in KP, but they surged to 3,787 incidents between Oct 15, 2025 and Oct 9, 2026.

He criticised the KP chief minister for ignoring martyred security and police personnel, and for instead preferring to promote his political designs and make visits across the country.

“Even this was announced that the federal capital will be conquered,” he said, referring to the party’s plan to hold a protest long march towards the federal capital.

The PML-N leader expressed his government’s gratitude to NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq for providing a platform for dialogue between the Centre and the opposition. He reiterated the government’s stance that the PTI had the agreement draft changed multiple times, but even then backed off from it.

Tarar observed that the PTI demanded the release of their party founder Imran Khan and his treatment in a private hospital despite knowing that only courts could provide such a relief.

He said two days would be “remembered in the country’s democratic history with regard to misfortune and a political party”.

On the emergency measure, the law minister noted that a special mechanism has been introduced for 12 districts of KP.

In his remarks on the NA floor, Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai took aim at Tarar for trying to prove that terrorism was not tackled in KP.

He questioned the government’s mandate in the February 2024 general elections, quipping that the opposition would “surrender” if the minister could swear that the government won those polls fairly.

Achakzai alleged that the incumbent ruling coalition was formed “illegally”.