Pakistan Imposes Emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as PTI Marches for Imran Khan’s Release

Pakistan on Sunday imposed a state of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the province run by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), after President Asif Ali Zardari approved the recommendations of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s federal cabinet.

The measures were taken under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, the President’s Office said, according to Dawn. Article 232 provides for the proclamation of an emergency in a province, and Article 234 for governor’s rule when constitutional governance is deemed to have failed.

The decision removes the provincial government’s powers and places the province under federal direction, with executive authority passing to the Governor, Faisal Karim Kundi.

A couple of hours after the announcement, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan, who was accompanying Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on the PTI’s long march, said Afridi had been taken into custody. PTI also said provincial party president Junaid Akbar had been arrested. Authorities have not confirmed either.

CRACKDOWN ON THE GROUND

Mobile network and data services were throttled or shut in selected urban areas, though not across the whole province, Dawn reported, citing sources in the telecom sector. Police were heavily deployed, and shipping-container barricades went up along key routes, particularly around Peshawar.

Under the new setup, Dr. Muhammad Fakhr Alam Irfan was installed as KP chief secretary, and senior officer Muhammad Yahya Akhunzada was transferred to the province to oversee operations under federal direction.

After an emergency cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office accused the PTI-led leadership of “deliberate indifference in the war against terrorism,” citing a “deteriorating situation of terrorism” in KP.

The President’s Office said Zardari signed the summary after studying security intelligence reports and noting the “failure of negotiations with government delegations.”

The meeting came a day after Sharif met Zardari to discuss the country’s security situation.

A LONG-RUNNING STANDOFF

The decision marks the sharpest point yet in a long-running clash between the PML-N-led federal government and the PTI administration in KP, particularly over counterterrorism operations and talks with the Afghan Taliban.

According to Dawn, matters worsened after bilateral talks collapsed on October 3. Islamabad accused the provincial government of failing to counter militants, while the PTI said it was being excluded from key security decisions and opposed military offensives in the region.

The PTI began its long march towards Islamabad on October 4 to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan, with Afridi leading it through the province.

Last week, Dawn reported that the federal government was “seriously considering” an emergency in KP, and the ruling coalition had warned of governor’s rule or an emergency if the provincial leadership did not call off the march.

Afridi took office as chief minister in October 2025, succeeding Ali Amin Gandapur.

PTI leaders condemned the move as politically motivated and aimed at weakening the party.

With inputs from ANI