Pakistan's federal cabinet has approved the transfer of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister's powers to the provincial governor for the day-to-day administration of the province during the state of emergency.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, 4 November, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said the move aims to facilitate administrative matters and improve governance in the province.

The governor will submit a monthly review report to the federal government on the exercise of the delegated powers, the statement said. Cabinet members described the shift as a temporary measure necessitated by the security challenges in the region.

Emergency declared in October

A state of emergency was declared in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 11 October 2026 under Article 232 of the Constitution, with governor's rule imposed under Article 234. The provincial governor, Faisal Karim Kundi, took charge with an 11-member advisory council, and the chief minister, Sohail Afridi, was taken into preventative detention.

The federal government said the move followed a sharp rise in militant attacks in the province and what it called the provincial government's "deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism". The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which led the provincial government, has challenged the emergency and governor's rule in the Peshawar High Court, arguing the proclamation required a resolution from the provincial assembly. The court has sought the Attorney General's response and adjourned the case until 10 November, with no interim relief granted.

The same cabinet meeting also ratified Pakistan's defence cooperation agreement with Kuwait, which has been reported separately.

Sources: APP via TezKhabar, Federal cabinet approves transfer of KP CM's powers to governor, endorses new currency designs, 4 November 2026; Probes Pakistan, Cabinet okays transfer of KP CM's powers to governor, 5 November 2026.