Pakistan’s parliament on Thursday endorsed the federal government’s decision to impose emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province previously governed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Opposition lawmakers carried placards reading “Emergency na manzoor” (Emergency is unacceptable) during the joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate. Both resolutions passed after a debate, according to a National Assembly statement.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government imposed the measures on 11 October, citing the provincial government’s alleged disengagement from counterterrorism efforts amid rising militant violence.
The move followed weeks of tension after the party announced a long march to Islamabad demanding Khan’s release.
Under Article 234 of the Constitution, governor’s rule lapses after two months unless a joint sitting approves it. It can be extended in two-month periods, up to six months.
