By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s federal government is considering imposing an emergency in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province amid escalating tensions with the provincial government led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), according to Daily Dawn.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday to discuss the country’s security and political situation, as government officials indicated that consultations were underway on possible emergency measures in the province.

The President’s House said separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate had been summoned for Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Minister of State for Interior Affairs Tallal Chaudhry told Geo News that imposing an emergency was a “last resort,” but suggested the government was moving towards that option after other efforts to secure cooperation from the provincial administration.

The federal government and the PTI-led provincial government have clashed over counterterrorism policy, security decisions and the PTI’s ongoing protest march towards Islamabad.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the provincial government of failing to strengthen counterterrorism infrastructure, including forensic laboratories and surveillance systems. The PTI, meanwhile, has argued that it has been sidelined in decisions affecting security in the province.

- Risk of further political instability

Imposing an emergency could deepen Pakistan’s political crisis and trigger a strong public reaction in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a major stronghold of Imran Khan’s PTI. Any move perceived as undermining the elected provincial government could intensify protests and further strain relations between Islamabad and the province.

The development comes as the PTI continues its march towards the federal capital despite warnings from federal ministers, who have linked the political confrontation to the province’s security challenges.

Separately, Shehbaz Sharif spoke by telephone with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman before meeting him at the Prime Minister’s House. The two discussed ways to reduce tensions between the federal and provincial governments.

Fazlur Rehman has been seeking to bring the government and opposition back to the negotiating table. His party says he is acting as a facilitator to encourage dialogue rather than as a mediator empowered to decide on behalf of either side.

With political negotiations and emergency consultations proceeding simultaneously, the prospect of extraordinary measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa raises concerns that an attempt to resolve the standoff could instead trigger wider unrest and deepen divisions across the country.