Bar groups nationwide contest KP emergency decree, vow Supreme Court challenge

A coalition of legal organisations has sharply criticised the recent emergency proclamation and governor’s rule imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Eight members of the Pakistan Bar Council labeled the decree unconstitutional, saying Articles 232 and 234 were invoked without the required provincial assembly resolution and that the provincial government remains functional. The Islamabad High Court Bar Association described the move as an attack on public mandate and provincial autonomy.

The Lahore High Court Bar Association and Lahore Bar Association resolved to challenge the decree before the Supreme Court, citing constitutional and democratic principles. The Karachi Bar Association demanded an immediate withdrawal of the emergency and warned that inaction could lead toward martial law. Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council announced a “black day” on which its members will boycott court appearances in protest.