JUI-F KP Tells Members to Quit ARDC in Three Days
- Suggested slug: jui-f-kp-leaders-quit-ardc-october-2026
- Category: National
- Focus keyphrase: JUI-F ARDC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- SEO title: JUI-F KP Tells Members to Quit ARDC in Three Days
- Meta description: JUI-F’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter ordered its members on the new Area Representative and Development Council to resign within three days.
- Tags: JUI-F, Fazlur Rehman, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ARDC, governor’s rule, Attaur Rehman, merged districts, Peshawar
- Original element: explainer context: the ARDC’s origin (created 11 October after the emergency, 12 districts, law-and-order and development mandate) is set against Feature Pakistan’s running governor’s-rule coverage
- Date: Saturday, 24 October 2026 (provincial general council meeting on Saturday; reported in Dawn’s 25 October edition)
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Saturday directed party members appointed to the newly established Area Representative and Development Council (ARDC) to resign within three days.
The decision was taken at the party’s provincial general council meeting at Mufti Mahmood Markaz, chaired by JUI-F KP emir Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman.
In a statement, JUI-F KP general secretary Maulana Attaul Haq Darwesh said the party had issued show-cause notices to its members appointed to the ARDC, directing them to quit within three days or face suspension of their party membership. Former lawmaker Shahbuddin Khan of Bajaur had earlier declined to join the council.
The four members named
JUI-F KP spokesperson Haji Abdul Jalil Jan told Dawn four party members, two each from the merged and settled districts, had been appointed to the council. They are Ihsanullah from Kurram, Izzatullah from Tirah in Khyber district, Abdul Haleem Qasuria from Dera Ismail Khan and Umar Bhittani from Lakki Marwat.
The show-cause notices put those four on a clock: resign within three days, or lose party membership.
Rejecting the ARDC’s formation, the JUI-F council termed governor’s rule and emergency in KP undemocratic. It also rejected attempts to link seminaries with terrorism and urged the governor’s adviser to avoid irresponsible and controversial statements.
What the ARDC is
The federal government established the ARDC on 11 October, following the imposition of emergency in the province. The council comprises representatives from 12 designated districts and has been tasked with maintaining law and order, safeguarding citizens’ security and overseeing development initiatives.
The council is, in effect, the administrative face of the emergency arrangement. If a major party’s members walk out, its claim to represent the province weakens, and its decisions lose political cover.
The move fits a wider pattern of opposition to the emergency set-up. Governor’s rule in KP is tied to counterterrorism cooperation, not the long march, according to Sanaullah, while Bilawal has said governor’s rule is a last option for KP. Khawaja Asif has said governor’s rule in KP is a last option if no alternative remains.
Inside the province, the tussle has been direct. The K-P power tussle deepened when the governor chaired a security meeting as the chief minister called an emergency cabinet session, while Tariq Fazal has said the K-P emergency has nothing to do with the PTI’s long march. Muqam has said there is no governor’s rule in KP for now. JUI-F’s quit order adds a new front: not just criticism of the arrangement, but withdrawal from its institutions.
The wider meeting
According to the statement, Senator Attaur Rehman briefed participants on the prevailing political tensions, the party’s role in facilitating reconciliation between the opposition and the ruling party, and the situation arising from governor’s rule and emergency.
The meeting also expressed concern over what it described as a social media character-assassination campaign against JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman by paid vloggers. It decided to form a two-member inquiry committee comprising Mufti Ubaidullah and Barrister Imad to look into matters concerning various districts and tehsils.
The quit order is the sharpest edge of the meeting. Ordering four named members to resign from a federal council within three days, on pain of suspension, is a public break with the emergency arrangement.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ARDC?
The Area Representative and Development Council, set up by the federal government on 11 October after the KP emergency. It covers 12 districts and handles law and order, citizens’ security and development.
What did JUI-F KP decide?
Its provincial general council directed party members appointed to the ARDC to resign within three days, after issuing them show-cause notices. Members who refuse face suspension of party membership.
Which members were appointed?
Ihsanullah (Kurram), Izzatullah (Tirah, Khyber district), Abdul Haleem Qasuria (Dera Ismail Khan) and Umar Bhittani (Lakki Marwat).
