Pakistan imposes emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid security concerns
President Asif Ali Zardari declared a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 11 October, suspending the PTI-led provincial government. Authorities detained hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party members, including former chief minister Sohail Afridi, citing deteriorating security in the border province. The move followed major protests demanding the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, which appeared to be losing momentum.
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Pakistani authorities detained hundreds of members of former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on 12 October, one day after President Asif Ali Zardari declared a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, PTI's political stronghold. Two police officials reported that 278 PTI members had been detained in the province since the declaration, which suspended the PTI-led provincial government.
The federal government justified the emergency measures by citing deteriorating security in the border province, which has also been contending with militant attacks. The declaration followed major protests demanding Khan's release from prison and disputes between federal and provincial authorities over the province's response to Islamist militancy.
In the provincial capital Peshawar, police deployed in large numbers established checkpoints constructed from shipping containers and razor wire that blocked access to the city's administrative zone. Schools were closed and the internet monitor Netblocks reported significant disruption to connectivity in parts of the province. A resident quoted by news sources described the measures as colonial-style rule, while the protest movement supporting Khan appeared to be losing momentum.
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