Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has said that consultations have taken place over the possibility of imposing Governor’s Rule in the province, adding that such a step has been taken in the past and is not, in itself, an unconstitutional measure.
Speaking to the media in Peshawar, Kundi also commented on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned long march, saying the party had made no preparations for the protest and alleging that its leaders were attempting to find a way out of the situation.
He claimed that some PTI leaders had gone into hiding and were allegedly seeking their own arrests to avoid participating in the long march.
“There is no preparation by PTI for the long march,” Kundi said, adding that while the party was talking about marching on Islamabad, some of its members were voluntarily presenting themselves for arrest.
Kundi further criticised PTI leaders over their claims about the expected size of the march. He said that if the party was capable of bringing hundreds of thousands of people to Islamabad, its leaders should be mobilising people in their respective constituencies instead of sitting in Islamabad cafes and conducting the march through social media.
The governor said the possibility of Governor’s Rule existed and that the Constitution provided for such a measure. He linked the discussion to the law-and-order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, referring to concerns over corruption, lawlessness and terrorism.
Kundi also criticised the KP government over its proposed changes to the provincial police system. He said police personnel in the province receive comparatively low salaries and questioned efforts to place greater powers over the police under the provincial government.
He said he would oppose the proposed legislation if it was sent to him for approval, adding that he would protect the interests of police personnel and resist measures that, in his view, could undermine the existing police structure.
The KP cabinet recently approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Act 2026, which proposes changes to the police administrative structure, including powers relating to appointments and transfers of senior officers as well as police policy and operations.
The governor’s comments come amid heightened political tensions between the federal and KP governments over governance, policing and PTI’s planned September 27 long march towards Islamabad. The federal government has previously discussed legal options concerning KP, including Governor’s Rule, while Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said earlier this week that the federal government had no intention of imposing it.