Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM rejects governor's rule, announces Long March

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Khan Afridi has rejected calls for governor’s rule or an emergency in the province, stating he will not act against the public mandate. During a meeting regarding law and order, Afridi announced that Rs35 billion has been redirected from the development budget to the police to enhance security and restore peace.

In a separate press conference in Peshawar, Afridi announced plans for a peaceful Long March on October 4. He criticized the federal government for economic mismanagement, citing a decline in GDP growth and a significant increase in national debt. Afridi noted that Pakistan's total debt has risen from Rs43 trillion to over Rs99 trillion in the last four years, contributing to a poverty rate of 44.5 percent.

Meanwhile, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar stated in Islamabad that the Constitution provides specific procedures for imposing governor’s rule or declaring an emergency, noting such actions must strictly follow the constitutional framework if the necessary conditions are met.