Pakistan suspended the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, declaring a state of emergency in the northwest region led by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. President Asif Ali Zardari issued the order after the federal government accused local authorities of failing to curb Islamist militancy in the province bordering Afghanistan.
The federal government named a politically allied official to take charge, with Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stating a provincial governor would initially oversee the region for six months, deploy troops, and extend the term as needed. The move follows a week of heightened tensions, including the detention of hundreds of PTI activists and three of Khan’s sisters ahead of a planned march on Islamabad to demand his release.
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari condemned the action as “more of a coup disguised as emergency,” warning it risked inciting further instability. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of the JUI-F party, also criticized the decision, calling it “an ambush on democracy.” The federal government and military have accused PTI of inadequate efforts to counter militant attacks, a charge the party denies, citing insufficient funding and equipment from Islamabad.
Restrictions have been placed on the movements of Sohail Afridi, the province’s former leader, while the capital deployed tens of thousands of security forces and barricades to block potential protests. Candidates backed by Khan’s party won the most seats in the 2024 election but formed a government only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
