Rooma News ; Emergency and Governor's Rule Imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Zardari cites deteriorating security and rising terrorism as the PTI-led provincial administration is suspended.

 Islamabad

Tuesday, 13 October 2026

By Rooma Mehmood

Rooma News

Pakistan & the World · Daily Edition · Editor & Reporter: Rooma Mehmood

Pakistan

Emergency and Governor's Rule Imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

President Zardari cites deteriorating security and rising terrorism as the PTI-led provincial administration is suspended.

President Asif Ali Zardari approved a state of emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The federal government suspended the provincial administration led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has taken charge, and an 11-member advisory board headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will oversee affairs. Massive bureaucratic reshuffles have taken place.

Government officials claim the move was welcomed by residents as a source of hope and is not politically motivated. Opposition parties, including PTI and JUI-F, have criticised it as unconstitutional and a power grab. Some PTI leaders and former ministers are reported under preventive custody or house arrest. Protests have been limited in some areas, with Section 144 imposed in places like Peshawar.

Rehman Baba Express Derails Near Multan

The Peshawar-bound train derailed in Punjab. At least four to six people were killed and more than 40 injured. Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi ordered an inquiry.

In Brief

Karachi: Five members of a family were found dead in a locked flat in the Bin Qasim / Gulshan-e-Hadeed area. A pistol was recovered and a suicide note citing financial difficulties was reported; an investigation is under way.

Quetta: Two Pakistan Army pilots were martyred when a training aircraft crashed due to a technical fault (reported 12 October).

AJK: Four people were killed by a landmine explosion near the Line of Control while carrying out pipeline work.

Lahore: Ranked among the world's most polluted cities, AQI around 199. Several flights to Gulf destinations were cancelled amid regional tensions.

Islamabad: President Zardari approved foreign visits by the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the Federal Constitutional Court chief justice.

World

Houthi Strikes Hit Saudi Airports

Houthi forces from Yemen have launched repeated strikes on Saudi airports, including King Khalid International in Riyadh. Attacks over recent days killed at least 12–20 people and injured more than 300–370.

Saudi Arabia has vowed retaliation, suspended some airport operations and warned that energy security cannot be taken for granted. IndiGo cancelled flights to major Saudi destinations. A Houthi official warned the United States against entering the conflict.

Drones Strike Ships off Bulgaria

Unknown drones struck two merchant ships off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. One vessel sank; eleven crew remain missing and about 20 were rescued.

Bulgaria summoned the Russian ambassador and blamed Moscow, though no conclusive evidence was publicly detailed. It was the second such incident in six days.

Pope Leo in Hospital

Admitted for surgery to remove an early-stage lung nodule, his first hospital stay of the papacy.

Russia Strikes Ukrainian Energy Despite "Ceasefire"

Russia continued strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure despite U.S. claims of an "energy ceasefire." NATO's top commander said the alliance is prepared to respond if attacked and outlined deterrence plans.

President Trump has pressed both sides toward a deal and floated possible meetings involving North Korea's Kim Jong Un during an Asia trip.

Nobel Prizes: Peace to South African jurist Navi Pillay; Literature to Canadian poet Anne Carson.

Incheon: A mass stabbing at a supermarket injured eight; a suspect was arrested. Nuremberg: Airport operations briefly suspended over an aviation emergency.

Climate: Super El Niño conditions are expected to make 2026 one of the hottest years on record. Quakes hit Panama; weather disrupts the U.S. Pacific coast.

Editorial

Emergency Powers Must Come With Benchmarks

The imposition of emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa marks another difficult chapter in Pakistan's long struggle with security and governance. The federal government argues that the previous provincial administration failed to contain militant violence and that decisive central action was required. Residents in the affected districts have suffered repeated attacks; restoring order and public confidence is a legitimate priority.

At the same time, suspending an elected government raises serious questions about constitutional process and democratic norms. Emergency powers are meant for exceptional circumstances and should be time-bound, transparent, and subject to parliamentary scrutiny. Prolonged central control without clear benchmarks for restoration of provincial authority risks deepening political polarisation rather than resolving the underlying security challenges.

True progress against militancy requires more than administrative change. It demands coordinated intelligence, sustained development in the border regions, addressing local grievances, and consistent policy toward groups operating from across the Afghan border. Without these elements, temporary measures will remain temporary.

Regionally, the escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure remind us how quickly instability can spread. Pakistan's own security and economic interests are linked to Gulf stability. Careful diplomacy and avoidance of entanglement in distant conflicts remain essential.

On the domestic front, everyday tragedies, from the Multan train derailment to the Karachi family deaths and the loss of army pilots, underscore the need for better safety standards, economic relief, and institutional accountability. Governance that focuses only on high politics while neglecting basic public services will continue to erode trust.

Pakistan faces simultaneous pressures: security threats, political division, economic strain, and environmental stress. Addressing them requires clarity of purpose, respect for constitutional limits, and a willingness to prioritise citizens' safety and livelihoods over short-term political calculations. The coming weeks will show whether the current measures move the country toward stability or simply open another cycle of confrontation.

Rooma News · Islamabad · Written by Rooma Mehmood