Emergency in 12 KP districts under consideration at high-level meeting

A high-level conference was held at the President House today, headed by President Asif Ali Zardari, to examine the current situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Senior government officials and security agencies attended the meeting.

Sources said the meeting was attended by the prime minister, important federal ministers and security personnel.

The President’s House was also visited by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders Naveed Qamar and Sherry Rehman.

The participants went through papers presented by the national security institutions and considered a proposal to declare emergency in 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including the combined districts, sources said.

The panel also discussed ideas to use important federal powers to enhance public safety in the province.

Sources said that the group addressed various constitutional alternatives under Articles 232 to 234 of the Constitution.

Sources said that crucial decisions were reached in the meeting about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the details of the choices could not be known immediately.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left President House after the meeting and returned to Prime Minister House.

Sources said the prime minister also called an emergency meeting of the federal cabinet for tomorrow.