A high-level meeting is to take place on Wednesday to review the rapidly evolving situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including serious concerns surrounding the performance and future of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government, highly placed sources told The meeting assumes particular significance because it comes at a time when concerns at the federal level over the security situation in KP have intensified, with terrorism continuing to pose a serious challenge and questions being raised about the level of cooperation and support being extended by the provincial political administration to law-enforcement agencies and security forces.

Sources said the meeting will take a comprehensive view of the situation in the province and various considerations concerning the KP government. However, it remains unclear whether any concrete decision will be taken in Wednesday's meeting or whether the matter will be discussed further before a final decision is reached. The fact that the meeting is taking place itself is being viewed as significant, given the seriousness of the concerns currently under consideration at the federal level.

The meeting is expected to examine, among other things, the deteriorating law-and-order situation, the provincial government's response to the terrorism challenge, coordination between the provincial administration and security institutions and the increasingly confrontational political environment. The federal government has, in recent days, publicly intensified its criticism of the KP government. Federal ministers alleged that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP had failed to take practical measures against terrorism and had not adequately supported the provincial police.

As reported earlier, the federal authorities are examining different political and constitutional options concerning the provincial situation. Article 232 of the Constitution, relating to a Proclamation of Emergency in circumstances involving grave threats to the security of Pakistan or part of it, including internal disturbance beyond the power of a provincial government to control, is among the constitutional provisions being discussed in the broader context. The Constitution also contains Article 234 concerning a situation in which the government of a province cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution.