Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under emergency, Pakistan Army eyes bigger role

New Delhi: Pakistan has called on its Army to tackle the worsening security scenario in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa underscored by the imposition of an emergency and governor's rule in the province bordering Afghanistan.

The plan was allegedly devised by Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir amid his Army's preoccupation with the Saudi theatre.

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Pakistan's federal government has declared a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, escalating a political dispute with the Opposition-led provincial government at a time of prolonged security tensions along the border with Afghanistan.

According to Pakistan's leading English daily Dawn, the country's federal cabinet approved the emergency on Sunday, which was endorsed by President Asif Ali Zardari. The presidential office said the measure was taken under Articles 232 and 234 of the Pakistan Constitution, which provide for emergency powers under specified circumstances. Islamabad has linked the deteriorating security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to what it describes as the provincial authorities' lack of commitment to confronting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime have also been highly volatile. Islamabad has accused the TTP of operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan and claimed the Taliban authorities have failed to honour commitments to prevent cross-border militancy. Kabul has rejected the allegations.