The KP impasse

Arifa Noor Published October 13, 2026 Updated October 13, 2026 09: 23am.

Key points

• SUNDAY brought what was being whispered regarding in Islamabad for days: the dismissal of the PTI administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• But by Saturday evening, there were plenty of other meetings as politicians from the administration and opposition sides met or held consultations publicly and behind the scenes.
• There was little clarity on what the outcome of these comings and goings would be.
• The PTI's reaction was muted as it was limited to social media.
• Governance by a technocratic administration in KP will support the PTI retain its popularity.

SUNDAY brought what was being whispered regarding in Islamabad for days: the dismissal of the PTI administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The whispers had turned into news by Saturday.

All day long, the mainstream media kept reporting on the possibility of an emergency, adding that the prime minister would hold a cabinet session on Sunday morning to produce the 'final' decision. But by Saturday evening, there were plenty of other meetings as politicians from the administration and opposition sides met or held consultations publicly and behind the scenes. These were last-ditch efforts to avoid taking a 'painful decision'.

There was little clarity on what the outcome of these comings and goings would be. Apart from the administration and PTI, the JUI-F, too, had jumped into the fray and offered to mediate between the two sides. In fact, on Sunday morning, channels documented that the prime minister called Maulana Fazlur Rahman during the gathering, creating the impression that some last-minute accord was being thrashed out. But clearly, these were red herrings, for shortly it was unveiled that both an emergency and governors' rule had been imposed. It afterwards transpired that the call was simply to inform the maulana concerning the decision. The cabinet session was followed by a bunch of ministers, including of law and interior, holding a press conference to justify their decision. They all looked a bit glum; perhaps they hadn't slept much.

Meanwhile, the PTI's reaction was muted as it was limited to social media. It seemed as if the television channels were not covering what was happening in KP; neither did they report on the fate of the PTI leadership. As well as other office-holders, including the KP Assembly Speaker, had been picked up, social media posts asserted that the chief minister, Sohail Afridi. Nevertheless, the number of those picked up or arrested is not known; there is little reporting on the problem and the administration isn't willing to provide details. It seems the party's coverage on the mainstream electronic media is being limited.

By the evening, an advisory council had been put together, in which individuals were given portfolios. It additionally held a meet-and-greet session with the governor. From the details provided regarding the residents and their portfolios, it seems that far more time had gone into the decision than a mere 24 hours. This is something that was lent more credence by the press conference by Maulana Fazlur Rahman. This person alleged that the administration had backed out of negotiations.

Interestingly, the federal administration has imposed an emergency as well as governor's rule. Though one lawyer suggested it may be since governor's rule has a time limit while an emergency endorsed by parliament doesn't, the logic is hard to understand. The federal administration didn't want a time limit or to leave the PTI administration in place; hence, it applied both. And with the kind of administrative measures taken, along with the cabinet confirmed, it doesn't seem the new set-up is here for a short time.

Over the next few days, there will be much hand-wringing over the role of the PPP and the PML-N in dismissing a democratically elected administration. But perhaps this is the cost they had to pay to keep enjoying power without mandate. The two parties had obtained off the democracy train some time ago. Right now, there is little likelihood of them getting back on. But this is not to say they can't clamber back on; after all the party that has resisted Sunday's decision unequivocally is the JUI-F. It was once part and parcel of a set-up introduced by Gen Musharraf.

In the land of the pure, parties find new positions rapidly. They discover democracy again and again and again. It is a bit like some of us enjoy returning to the same books again and again; the familiarity is what makes it comforting. Nevertheless, what will not be easily forgotten is this notion of political parties based in Sindh and Punjab adding to the instability facing the other half of Pakistan – Balochistan and KP. It face the brunt of the violence.

Now on to the matter of terrorism. It allegedly led to the decision to dismiss the KP administration. Terrorism's reincarnation in KP is a complex subject. It cannot be tackled in an article on politics but suffice it to say that this new set-up will not have much impact on the violence in the province. This is partly since terrorism was provided as a justification for the decision to impose an emergency, and is not the reason behind the dismissal of the PTI administration, and partly since the government's argument contradicts itself – it blames the PTI for not providing the political ownership of the state's effort against terrorism and then proceeds to replace an elected administration with a technocratic set-up. How will this provide the much-needed ownership?

More serious still is the decision of the federal administration and establishment to take over the province and directly assume responsibility for all that happens there. If in the coming weeks and months, terrorism does not subside, there will be no PTI to blame. The failure – if it is there – will be Islamabad's and Pindi's to own. The failure will not be one related to terrorism solely, but will additionally include governance matters, and the economic hardship faced nationwide.

These are all problems the lengthy caretaker administration in KP faced and apparently failed to resolve. For this is why a populace tiring of the PTI voted back the party with a two-thirds majority in the provincial assembly. And since 2024, the shenanigans of Ali Amin Gandapur and Sohail Afridi once again led to disenchantment among the KP voters. Nevertheless, governance by a technocratic administration will once again assist the PTI retain its popularity, even though its second-tier leadership will face hardship, including arrests or kidnapping. But once these subside, the party might just flex its muscles to return to power.

Indeed, the weekend's developments have brought no resolution to the political crisis in KP. The merry-go-round continues. The writer is a journalist. Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2026. Governor's rule in KP.

In short, the KP impasse is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.