President Asif Ali Zardari approved the prime minister’s advice on a proclamation order concerning the alleged breakdown of constitutional machinery in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the prime minister’s advice concerning a proclamation order over what the document describes as a breakdown of constitutional machinery in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to a photograph of presidential document on Sunday.

The document, bearing the heading “President, Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” states that the prime minister’s advice contained in Paragraph 9 of the summary has been approved and that the proclamation order has been signed by the president. It refers to Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution of Pakistan and carries a reference dated Oct. 11, 2026.

The document identifies its subject as the “breakdown of constitutional machinery in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” and the issuance of a proclamation under the relevant constitutional provisions.

Federal government considers emergency measures

The development comes amid escalating political tensions between the federal government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led provincial administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party had finalised a plan to bring the province under federal control through constitutional provisions concerning an emergency and governor’s rule. The report cited sources familiar with the discussions.

Federal cabinet had agreed to impose an emergency and governor’s rule in the province, citing sources. It said the cabinet meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and that an official announcement of the decisions was expected later.

What Articles 232 and 234 provide

Article 232 provides the constitutional framework for declaring an emergency under specified circumstances, including a grave threat to Pakistan’s security arising from war, external aggression or internal disturbance beyond a provincial government’s power to control.

Article 234 addresses a different situation: the failure of a provincial government to function in accordance with the Constitution. It provides a mechanism through which the president may issue a proclamation, subject to the constitutional requirements, to assume or assign specified provincial governmental functions.

The two provisions therefore have distinct legal purposes and procedures. Their mention in the photographed document does not, by itself, establish the precise measures being implemented.

The reported move follows discussions over security and law-and-order conditions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the growing confrontation between the federal government and the PTI-led provincial government.