Peshawar, October 4, 2026: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has agreed to play his constitutional role if President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif consider imposing governor’s rule or declaring an emergency in the province, amid heightened political and security tensions.
The development came during a meeting between Kundi and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi at Governor House in Peshawar on Sunday, according to an official statement.
The meeting took place a day after negotiations between the federal government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), aimed at averting the party’s planned October 4 long march towards Islamabad, collapsed.
Kundi and Naqvi discussed the political and security situation in the province, including the deteriorating law and order situation and preparations for the PTI march.
According to the Governor House statement, the two officials agreed to play their constitutional role to protect Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from terrorism and destruction.
They also discussed concerns over the alleged facilitation of terrorists passing through security checkpoints during the long march.
The statement further said that the use of an official helicopter and government resources for the march would constitute a violation of court decisions.
The Governor House said it would play its full constitutional role if the president and prime minister deemed governor’s rule or an emergency necessary in the province.
Security forces on high alert
Sources said Kundi briefed Naqvi on the overall law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the security concerns surrounding the PTI march.
KP Inspector General of Police also briefed the interior minister on the security situation, according to sources.
The provincial police force has been placed on high alert amid the uncertain situation, while police personnel considered unnecessary in various districts have been called back to police lines.
A strategy has also been prepared to immediately mobilise additional police personnel in case of an emergency, the sources said.
The meeting also reviewed preparations for the PTI march and the potential security challenges associated with it.
Government-PTI talks collapse
The meeting came after three rounds of negotiations between PTI and a government delegation comprising representatives of the PML-N-led federal government and PPP failed to produce an agreement.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi subsequently declared that the talks had collapsed and accused KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of sabotaging the negotiations at the last moment.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi claimed that 99% of the points had been agreed upon and that a draft agreement had been prepared.
He said he had taken a copy of the draft to President Zardari, but upon returning found that several changes had been made by the KP chief minister.
“Unfortunately, the KP chief minister tried to sabotage the negotiations,” Naqvi said, adding that four drafts had been prepared and amended during the talks.
The negotiations had initially raised hopes of a breakthrough, with a member of the negotiating committee claiming that the two sides had agreed on around 95% of the issues and expected to resolve the remaining points overnight.
However, the talks ended without an agreement.
PTI cites counterterrorism dispute
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja gave a different account of the talks’ failure, saying the main disagreement centred on counterterrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In a statement posted on X, Raja said the PTI team had maintained that counterterrorism measures in the province should be based on an agreement between the federal and provincial governments and formulated after consultation with all political parties represented in the KP Assembly.
He claimed the federal government instead insisted that the provincial government take ownership of counterterrorism actions initiated unilaterally by the Centre.
Raja said PTI had “zero tolerance” for terrorism and remained committed to eliminating the threat, but opposed civilian casualties and displacement caused by security operations.
He said counterterrorism policies should have the support of local communities and be based on ground intelligence.
Raja also called for the recommendations of a jirga held in the KP Assembly, involving political and tribal representatives from across the province, including the merged districts, to be taken into account.
He said the federal government had not accepted this position.
Other unresolved issues
The negotiations had also remained deadlocked over several PTI demands.
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said differences persisted over a meeting with jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, access to his personal doctor and clarification regarding military operations in areas hosting internally displaced persons.
He said the government had indicated that it was not currently in a position to arrange a meeting between the PTI leadership and Khan, although meetings between Khan’s sisters and lawyers would be allowed.
PPP leader Sherry Rehman said the draft agreement had been revised four times and that the government had heard PTI’s concerns, but there could be no compromise on terrorism.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah said the provincial government was constitutionally responsible for dealing with terrorism and alleged that it had failed to provide assurances regarding its role in counterterrorism.
He warned that the PTI march would not be allowed to enter Islamabad and that any unrest would be dealt with according to law.
The breakdown of talks has heightened political tensions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with authorities stepping up security preparations as PTI supporters move ahead with plans for the long march towards Islamabad.
