The federal government has approved the Pakistan Army deployment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to support civil authorities. The Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control issued the order in Islamabad on October 11, 2026. Meanwhile, the notification will appear in the next issue of the Gazette of Pakistan, Part-II.
The government used its powers under Article 245 of the Constitution to approve the move. Therefore, troops will now assist civil authorities in protecting lives, citizens and their property. They will also help secure government installations across the province.
The order links the deployment to the proclamation issued on October 11 under Articles 232 and 234. Moreover, the troops will stay in place for as long as that proclamation remains in effect. The latest directive also replaces the federal government’s earlier orders on the matter.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor will decide how many troops and assets the province needs. However, he will make that decision in consultation with the Military Operations Directorate at General Headquarters. The notification does not specify a fixed number of troops or military assets. Instead, authorities will set the requirement according to the situation on the ground.
The decision follows President Asif Ali Zardari’s proclamation of an emergency in the province on Sunday. That proclamation removed Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and his administration over terrorism and a breakdown of constitutional machinery. Furthermore, the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was marching toward Islamabad when the emergency was declared.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan condemned the move and called it undemocratic. Still, he said the decision could be reversed within a few days. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, however, has urged residents not to break the law or incite violence.
Observers will now watch how the situation develops across the province in the coming days. Therefore, the Pakistan Army deployment is likely to remain a central issue in the political debate. The government has not yet shared further details on the scale of the operation.
