THE declaration of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, suspending the PTI-led provincial government amid a deteriorating security situation, raises a fundamental question about Pakistan’s democratic order: can the state protect its citizens without undermining their right to determine how they are governed? The federal government has justified its decision on security grounds, while PTI has challenged it as a political manoeuvre. These competing claims require constitutional scrutiny, independent evidence and open debate. Neither security concerns nor political objections should be exempt from examination.

Pakistan’s struggle with this question reflects a deeper historical inheritance. The colonial state was organised primarily to preserve authority, maintain hierarchy and manage subjects rather than empower citizens. Political dissent was frequently viewed through the lens of public order, while loyalty and........

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