Pakistan Suspends Imran Khan’s Party-Led Provincial Government, Imposes Emergency Rule

ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has declared a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and suspended the provincial government led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, escalating a political standoff between the opposition and the federal government.

The move on Sunday followed a recommendation by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Cabinet, which accused the provincial administration of failing to tackle militancy in the province bordering Afghanistan and of deliberately disengaging from counterterrorism efforts.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced an 11-member advisory council that will oversee provincial affairs under the governor. He accused the government led by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of forming an “unholy alliance” with militants.

“Failing to perform constitutional responsibilities is one thing and empowering those who martyred innocent citizens and security forces and attacked mosques is quite another,” Tarar said.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the governor would initially remain in office for six months, with the possibility of an extension as necessary. The Interior Ministry also announced plans to deploy troops in the province. A close aide to Afridi told Reuters that restrictions had been placed on the chief minister’s movements.

Federal officials said deteriorating security and poor coordination between Islamabad and the provincial government had allowed militants to gain ground. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused the provincial administration of neglecting counterterrorism while concentrating on securing Khan’s release. Law Minister Tarar said militant violence in the province had increased by 196 percent in recent years.

The emergency measures come amid heightened tensions following PTI supporters’ plans to march on Islamabad to demand Khan’s release. Hundreds of activists and three of Khan’s sisters have been detained ahead of the planned march, in what the party described as one of the strongest crackdowns in years.

Khan has been imprisoned since 2023 on corruption and other charges that he and his party say are politically motivated. Despite his incarceration, he retains a substantial support base and remains a central figure in Pakistan’s political turmoil.

PTI spokesperson Zulfiquar Bukhari condemned the suspension of the provincial government, describing it as a “disguised coup.” He argued that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration was the only government with a genuine popular mandate following the February 2024 parliamentary elections, which the party alleges were rigged.

“Now that little bit of democracy is also gone,” Bukhari said.

Bukhari also accused the federal government of lacking a genuine commitment to negotiations. He said PTI representatives had sought discussions on Khan’s basic rights, while government officials had focused on counterterrorism. Talks last week on postponing the planned march failed.

In addition to demanding Khan’s release, PTI has called for his transfer to a hospital and permission for family visits. Sharif’s government has maintained that Khan is in good health and receives regular family visits, while insisting that meetings with the former prime minister cannot be used for political purposes.

The latest measures deepen the confrontation between Khan’s party and the federal government, following earlier protests that ended in deadly clashes with security forces. Khan’s arrest in 2023 also triggered nationwide riots that challenged the military’s standing.