ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s president on Sunday declared a state of emergency in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, and suspended his government, led by the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. It precedes a planned march on Islamabad by supporters demanding his release.
President Asif Ali Zardari’s announcement comes hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said the Federal Cabinet had recommended a state of emergency, accusing the provincial government of “deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism.”
These measures place the province under the authority of an appointed governor, who represents the federal government.
Khan, Sharif’s main political rival, has been imprisoned since 2023 on corruption and other charges that he and his party say are politically motivated. Despite his imprisonment, he enjoys a large and passionate support base, keeping him at the center of Pakistan’s turbulent political landscape.
Why the federal government imposed a state of emergency
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused the provincial government of neglecting anti-terrorism efforts while focusing on Khan’s release.
Naqvi said delays in decision-making and poor coordination between Islamabad and the provincial government allowed militants to gain ground, prompting the decision to impose a state of emergency in the province. Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said militant violence in the province had increased by 196% in recent years.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced the creation of an 11-member advisory council, which will direct provincial affairs under the leadership of the governor.
He accused the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government led by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of forming an “unholy alliance” with militants. “Failing to fulfill constitutional responsibilities is one thing and empowering those who martyred innocent citizens and security forces and attacked mosques is another,” Tarar said.
No protests have been reported following the suspension of the provincial government. Police arrested several supporters of Khan’s party overnight and authorities deployed additional police and security forces to prevent unrest.
Shipping containers placed by police along Islamabad’s main roads since last month to block possible gatherings have disrupted traffic, forcing residents of the capital and its neighbor Rawalpindi to take long detours.
Imran Khan’s party rejects imposition of state of emergency
Khan’s spokesperson Zulfiquar Bukhari condemned the suspension of the provincial government, calling it a “disguised coup d’état.” He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was the only one with a real popular mandate after the February 2024 parliamentary elections, which Khan’s party claimed were rigged.
“Now that little bit of democracy is also gone,” Bukhari said in a statement.
Referring to recent discussions between Khan’s party and the federal government, Bukhari accused officials of having no intention of reaching an agreement. He said government officials had focused on fighting terrorism, while Khan’s representatives had come to discuss the jailed leader’s basic rights.
Talks between Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, party and the federal government last week on postponing the march broke down.
In addition to Khan’s release, his party demanded that he be transferred to a hospital and that his family be allowed to visit him. Sharif’s government has said Khan is in good health and receives regular family visits, but maintains that meetings with the imprisoned former leader cannot be used for political purposes.
Planned PTI protest march in Islamabad
Chief Minister Afridi on Saturday urged his supporters to prepare to march on Islamabad. Afridi launched the protest campaign last week, leading marches in several districts of the province. But the protesters dispersed after Afridi’s government was suspended, according to residents. They said life remained normal across the province, with no further protests against the measures.
Sharif’s government has urged Afridi since last month to postpone the march, citing a surge in Pakistani Taliban attacks in the northwest. He also accused Khan’s party of sympathizing with the militant group, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Khan’s party said Afridi and his former cabinet members had been arrested.
Political analyst Azeem Chaudhry said the emergency measures gave Governor Faisal Karim Kundi powers as provincial chief executive, effectively removing Khan’s party from power in the only province he governed. He said the Provincial Assembly and Afridi’s Cabinet had also been suspended.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent years, much of it has been blamed on the TTP, a separate but close allied group of the Afghan Taliban, which returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of providing sanctuary to TTP militants, an allegation that Kabul denies.
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Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan.
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