News Desk
ISLAMABAD: Members of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) have strongly condemned the imposition of Governor’s Rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, terming the federal government’s move unconstitutional and demanding the immediate restoration of the province’s elected government led by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
In a press statement dated October 11, 2026, eight members of the Pakistan Bar Council criticised the federal government’s invocation of Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, arguing that the decision lacked the necessary constitutional grounds and undermined democratic governance and provincial autonomy.
The signatories alleged that the move amounted to an unconstitutional interference in the affairs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and questioned the legality of removing the elected provincial government and establishing an advisory council.
The council members also criticised what they described as weaknesses in Pakistan’s democratic system, alleging that electoral irregularities, economic mismanagement, violations of fundamental and human rights, and restrictions on access to justice had contributed to political instability and growing public distrust.
Explaining their legal objections, the members argued that Article 232, which deals with the proclamation of an emergency, requires specific constitutional grounds. They maintained that an emergency based on internal disturbance beyond a provincial government’s capacity to control requires a resolution from the provincial assembly.
They further argued that Article 234 permits the imposition of Governor’s Rule only when a provincial government cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution. According to the statement, both the provincial government and the provincial assembly had been functioning under the constitutional framework.
The signatories also questioned the justification for the federal intervention on grounds of counterterrorism, pointing to the security challenges faced by other provinces, including Balochistan, where they said provincial authorities had continued working with the military against terrorism.
The statement criticised the country’s political and constitutional direction, alleging that the existing governance system had weakened parliamentary democracy, the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution. However, the claims and constitutional interpretations presented in the statement represent the position of the signatories.
The Pakistan Bar Council members called on President Asif Ali Zardari to withdraw the proclamation of emergency and Governor’s Rule, restore the democratically elected government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and respect provincial autonomy.
They also urged bar councils and bar associations across Pakistan to condemn the decision and raise their voices in support of constitutional governance and democratic principles.
The statement was signed by Abid Shahid Zuberi, Muhammad Maqsood Butt, Shafqat Mehmood Chauhan, Abdul Sattar Khan, Munir Ahmed Kakar, Salman Akram Raja, Salahuddin Ahmed and Qazi Muhammad Arshad, all members of the Pakistan Bar Council.
