Pakistan Declares Emergency Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amid Rising Tensions

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari announced on Sunday the imposition of emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing rising political tensions and an increase in militant activity in the province.

The action, taken under constitutional Articles 232 and 234 concerning security, gives the federal government broad administrative authority over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where thousands of supporters of the incarcerated former premier Imran Khan have been marching to call for his release.

This development follows a breakdown in negotiations between the government and the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf (PTI) party, marked by disputes over counter‑terrorism strategy in the province and broader political disagreements.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a cabinet meeting on Sunday to assess the law‑and‑order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and what he described as the provincial government’s deliberate withdrawal from anti‑terrorism efforts, after which he advised the president to impose emergency rule.

“President Asif Ali Zardari has endorsed the prime minister’s recommendation on the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the presidency announced on Sunday.

“The president’s signature came after the federal cabinet’s decision, the prime minister’s counsel, assessments from relevant institutions on law and order, and the collapse of talks with government delegations.”

Senior PTI figure Zulfiqar Bukhari denounced the central government’s decision.

“The only legitimately elected government in Pakistan has been overthrown,” he told Arab News when asked about the party’s reaction to the emergency.

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, the province’s federal representative, issued a statement on Sunday urging citizens to avoid any law‑breaking, incitement, or rioting.

“Strict legal action will be taken against anyone who disrupts law and order or attempts to enforce the law themselves,” he warned.

On October 4, PTI began a long march toward Islamabad demanding Khan’s release. The party opposes extensive military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, warning that they could cause civilian casualties and displacement, and insists that counter‑terrorism measures be devised in consultation with provincial authorities.

Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is presently leading the protest march across the province, calling for Khan’s release. Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 until his ouster in a parliamentary vote of no confidence in April 2022, has been detained since August 2023. He is serving a prison term on a corruption conviction that he claims is politically motivated—a charge the government denies.

His imprisonment has sparked repeated clashes between his party and federal authorities, most notably a large protest in Islamabad in November 2024 that deteriorated into confrontations between demonstrators and security forces.

Afridi had previously urged PTI supporters to assemble in Swabi district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Sunday, saying he would reveal the movement’s next steps on October 13. He had also indicated that the march would proceed to Islamabad on October 14.

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