ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided against immediately imposing an emergency or governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, opting instead to give Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) another opportunity to reconsider its October 4 march towards Islamabad, according to highly placed sources.
The matter was discussed during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, key advisers and senior members of his team, with participants reviewing the political and security situation in KP as well as PTI’s planned mobilisation.
Sources said both emergency measures and governor’s rule were discussed, but no decision was taken to invoke either option at this stage.
Instead, the government has decided to observe PTI’s actions over the coming days, particularly whether the party calls off the October 4 march and adopts a less confrontational political approach.
According to the sources, federal authorities believe the situation can still be addressed politically if PTI chooses to de-escalate.
If the party responds positively, sources said several issues concerning PTI and its leadership could potentially be addressed through political and administrative channels.
These could include improved access to incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, consideration of medical treatment or hospitalisation where medically warranted, and issues concerning his meetings with lawyers, family members and close relatives.
Similar facilitation could be considered for Bushra Bibi regarding meetings with her family and legal team, according to the sources.
However, the sources stressed that any release of Imran Khan would remain exclusively a matter for the courts and could neither be guaranteed nor decided by the federal government.
The October 4 march has consequently emerged as a key point in the continuing political standoff.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Wednesday that the party’s call for the October 4 march remained intact, while maintaining that the protest would be peaceful. He also urged the federal government not to impose governor’s rule or an emergency in KP.
PTI had initially scheduled its march for September 27 before postponing it until October 4 amid heightened political tensions and preparations by authorities.
The latest deliberations come amid federal concerns over the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tensions involving the provincial and federal authorities.
