LAHORE: The federal government, the provincial administrations and the establishment should sit together immediately to find the means to end the state of emergency, imposed recently in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to resolve the crisis the country is facing.

The suggestion was given by PPP leader Faisal Mir, addressing a session on “Democracy, Emergency, Constitutional Instability and the Future of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” organised by the Shaheed Bhutto Foundation at Safma secretariat here on Friday.

The event was attended by prominent political figures and media analysts, who deliberated on the ongoing constitutional challenges in KP and their wider implications. Faisal Mir stated that his party had no policy to support the imposition of the state of emergency, adding that there were specific circumstances under which the PPP previously supported such steps.

He challenged the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to articulate its contributions toward democracy.

The PPP leader claimed that the PTI’s political strength in KP is on the verge of collapse, drawing a parallel with the decline of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in Sindh.

Veteran rights activist Hussain Naqi observed that power in Pakistan has never truly been handed over to those who won it through legitimate democratic means.

Journalist Imtiaz Alam described the repeated imposition of emergency in Pakistan since 1977 as a “democratic sin,” regretting that political parties across the spectrum, including the PTI and the JUI, have effectively surrendered instead of taking on the mafias and pursuing essential police, health and education reforms in KP.

PTI leader Ahmed Awais questioned the security pretexts used to justify the measures taken in KP.

Columnist Sohail Warraich said any comparison between the PPP and other parties isvalid only if another political entity demonstrates a track record of sacrifices matching the former’s.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2026