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October 16, 2026
Legal Fraternity Rails against Emergency Proclamation in Khyber PakhtunkhwaIslamabad/Lahore: The legal community and bar bodies have condemned the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), with the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) deciding on Monday to challenge the move before the Supreme Court through a constitutional petition.
Eight members of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), in a statement, condemned the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in KP and called upon the president to immediately withdraw what they described as the “unconstitutional proclamation of emergency and governor’s rule”.
They also urged the president to immediately restore the democratically-elected KP government and respect provincial autonomy.
They maintained that the president’s invocation of Articles 232 and 234 on the advice of the prime minister and the cabinet was illegal and unconstitutional.
Under Article 232, the statement pointed out, the proclamation of an emergency on grounds of internal disturbance beyond the control of a provincial government requires a resolution of the provincial assembly. No such resolution had been passed, the signatories noted.
It added that Article 234 permits governor’s rule only when the government of a province cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution. However, the provincial government and assembly were both performing their functions in accordance with the Constitution, the signatories maintained.
‘Attack on public mandate’
Separately, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) also strongly condemned the imposition of governor’s rule in KP, describing it as an attack on the public mandate, democratic values, and provincial autonomy.
In a statement issued by its secretary, the association said the association would vigorously oppose any attempt to suppress the will of the people through the exercise of administrative powers.
The statement said constitutional supremacy, parliamentary democracy and provincial autonomy were the foundations of Pakistan’s constitutional system, adding that extraordinary constitutional measures should not be used to undermine an elected government.
The LHCBA and the LBA have decided to file a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court challenging the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in KP. - Dawn
Courtesy Dawn
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