Pakistan imposes emergency rule in PTI-led province amid terrorism concerns

Pakistan invoked a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, suspending the provincial government led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. President Asif Ali Zardari approved the cabinet’s recommendation after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting earlier that day.

Authorities arrested Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and the party’s provincial president shortly after the announcement. PTI lawmaker Junaid Akbar confirmed the detentions. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar explained that a provincial governor will lead an advisory council for the next six months.

Sharif’s office pointed to the administration’s failure to combat militants as the justification for the takeover. A statement noted the “provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism”.

The emergency rule arrives just before the PTI planned a major demonstration to demand the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan has been jailed for more than three years and still commands widespread support. The protest moved from September 27 to October 4 to allow space for talks.

Federal officials are preparing strict security measures to stop the demonstrators from reaching the capital. The government erected shipping containers along main access routes to Islamabad over the past few weeks.

PTI spokesman Zulfikar Bukhari warned the decision would trigger “further bloodshed, ‌instability and collateral damage”. He added that the emergency rule proves the government never intended to negotiate with the party.