The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has removed petitions challenging the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from its cause list for November 10. The move follows a decision by the Federal Constitutional Court regarding the jurisdiction of cases filed after October 12, 2026.
In compliance with the ruling, the high court has also removed cases concerning the arrest of the former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and other related provincial matters from its upcoming hearing schedule. According to the decision, petitions filed on or after October 12, 2026, will no longer be scheduled for hearings before the PHC in matters covered by the ruling.
The Federal Constitutional Court has clarified that cases concerning the imposition of governor’s rule and a provincial emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa fall within its jurisdiction. Petitions relating to the arrests of the former chief minister and the speaker of the provincial assembly have also been placed under the federal court’s jurisdiction.
The ruling further covers petitions challenging detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. Such cases will now be heard by the Federal Constitutional Court rather than the Peshawar High Court.
The development follows the Federal Constitutional Court’s decision on the jurisdiction of petitions filed after October 12. The PHC has adjusted its cause list accordingly, removing the relevant matters from the November 10 schedule.
As a result, the Federal Constitutional Court will handle the covered petitions concerning governor’s rule, the provincial emergency, the arrests of key provincial political figures and detention under the MPO Ordinance. The change determines which court will hear these matters, in accordance with the jurisdiction set out in the ruling.
