KP CM defiant on PTI's Islamabad march as Centre keeps up governor's rule, emergency threat

KP CM defiant on PTI's Islamabad march as Centre keeps up governor's rule, emergency threat.

Key points

• Manzoor AliMuhammad Irfan MughalNews Desk Published September 29, 2026 Updated September 29, 2026 11: 45pm.
• Manzoor Ali is a Peshawar-based reporter for Dawn with over 15 years of experience covering governance, climate, and the economy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• Afridi, nevertheless, sounded defiant while addressing a press conference in Peshawar on Tuesday.
• Afridi additionally cautioned against any "adventure" and noted the "people of KP will protect their mandate as they did during the February 8 general elections".
• On Monday, federal ministers slammed the PTI and Afridi for focusing on the party's planned long march rather than the security challenges that KP was facing.

Manzoor AliMuhammad Irfan MughalNews Desk Published September 29, 2026 Updated September 29, 2026 11: 45pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

PESHAWAR/DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi expressed the resolve on Tuesday to go ahead with the PTI's planned march to Islamabad on Oct 4, saying that the protesters would reach Swabi in the first phase.

His assertion comes as the march – which the PTI has confirmed as part of its nationwide protest to demand the release of its founder, Imran Khan – remains a major bone of contention between the administration and the main opposition party, with both taking entrenched positions.

For context, the administration has even threatened to send the PTI administration in KP packing by imposing the governor's rule or an emergency if its leadership did not withdraw its plan to march on Islamabad.

He remarked the planned protest would be "unmatched in the country's history", adding in its first phase, the protesters would reach Swabi. It borders Punjab. After reaching Swabi, he continued, "we must move forward".

Meanwhile, the KP CM additionally accused the ruling PML-N of conspiring to include its workers in PTI ranks to sow chaos.

"We are peaceful and our workers will be unarmed; anyone holding anything in his hand or creating chaos would not be from amongst us, " he remarked.

According to Afridi, there was a chain of command of workers involved in the march and in case of the disappearance of a leader, another person would replace him.

In response to a question regarding backdoor contacts with the administration, he noted that the party leadership might have such contacts, but he had been tasked with the resistance.

Coming back to his criticism of the Centre, he remarked the federal administration had the same counterterrorism policy in KP for the past 22 years and it had been unable to put an end to terrorism. Only the province could do this, he continued.

On Monday, federal ministers slammed the PTI and Afridi for focusing on the party's planned long march rather than the security challenges that KP was facing. They highlighted flaws in the KP government's "leadership" and employ of resources to fight terrorism and even presented a white paper on the KP government's "failure" to equip police with sophisticated weapons. In response, Afridi panned the Centre's counterterrorism policy.

Meanwhile, calls from federal representatives for imposing governor's rule or an emergency in KP intensified, with Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar saying that such a move could be created if required. The minister additionally cited the security situation in KP in this connection. Kundi, Sanaullah say imposing governor's rule, emergency can be considered.

On Tuesday, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi joined the chorus and remarked governor's rule or an emergency could be imposed in the province if lawlessness and political unrest continued to rise.

After visiting those injured in a Sept 26 attack on Aman Mela checkpost, Kundi remarked he was regularly briefing the president on the situation in the province, speaking to journalists in Dera Ismail Khan at the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital.

"I keep my president informed regarding the situation in KP. Whatever decision he takes will be implemented, " he remarked.

Kundi remarked the possibility of imposing governor's rule was covered in the Constitution, and could be considered if the president and prime minister deemed it necessary.

Meanwhile, the governor additionally criticised the PTI for announcing its long march to Islamabad, and cautioned that action would be taken against anyone who took the law into their own hands.

He additionally questioned the party's ability to carry out its march, saying: "Let them first cross Swabi."

In practice, the governor remarked KP was facing serious security challenges and called on collective efforts to combat terrorism. He criticised the provincial administration for focusing on political confrontation and long marches instead of addressing the security situation.

Separately, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah additionally referred to the security situation in KP and stated it was affecting both civilians and law enforcers.

Speaking on the news programme 'Nadeem Malik Live' on Samaa, he alleged that the provincial administration was not making efforts to curb terrorism and, instead, was getting in the way of the federal administration that was trying to keep the peace and stop terrorists.

"They do not fulfill their legal and constitutional responsibilities, and they create problems for the federal government, such as announcing the long march, " he remarked.

In such situations, Sanaullah continued, "all options" were on the table, including the imposition of an emergency.

"The Centre can take control of the province and appoint anyone as an administrator, " he remarked, further suggesting that governor's rule could additionally be considered.

Then there was political dialogue, he remarked. "These three options are on the table, " he remarked, adding that "we will proceed once we make a final decision".

According to He additionally, the PTI may pursue its political demands, but on terrorism, it had to stand with the Centre and condemn terrorism.

"They have to fulfill their legal and constitutional responsibility to fight terrorism, " he remarked.

Manzoor Ali is a Peshawar-based reporter for Dawn with over 15 years of experience covering governance, climate, and the economy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He can be discovered on X at @Manzoor.

For now, KP CM defiant on PTI' s Islamabad march as Centre keeps up governor' s remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.