Pakistan imposes emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, suspending PTI-led provincial government

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday declared a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He suspended the provincial government, which was led by Imran Khan's PTI party. Under the arrangement, the provincial governor takes charge of the province's government.

According to Al Jazeera, the proclamation states that the chief minister, ministers, advisers, special assistants and advocate general "shall forthwith cease to hold office". Pakistan's constitution allows the federal government to take over from provincial authorities during an emergency.

The proclamation cites militant attacks. Al Jazeera quoted it as saying the provincial government "has failed to demonstrate the ownership, will and intent to adequately deal with the menace of terrorism". Khyber Pakhtunkhwa borders Afghanistan and has seen an increase in militant attacks.

Federal Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had been detained. The Guardian, citing Reuters, quoted him as saying: "Yes, I can confirm that the chief minister and some of his cabinet members have been taken into preventive custody." According to Chaudhry, as relayed by The Guardian citing Reuters, the detentions took place on Sunday at the chief minister's house in Peshawar. He said detainees with cases against them would be charged and tried, and the others released.

The measures followed the breakdown of talks between the federal government and the PTI over a planned march to Islamabad. Supporters planned to demand the release of Khan, who is in detention. According to The Guardian, Khan's three sisters and hundreds of his supporters were detained before the planned march.

According to Al Jazeera, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi of the Pakistan Peoples Party, an ally of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government, takes over the provincial government's functions. Al Jazeera also reported that the federal parliament takes over the powers of the provincial assembly, where the PTI holds a majority. A separate federal order says the constitutional provision requiring the judiciary to be separated from the executive "shall not apply" to 12 "designated districts", mostly in the former tribal areas.

What is disputed

The federal government says the emergency is about terrorism. The PTI says it was imposed to stop the march. The scale of the detentions is also unclear. The Guardian's headline refers to hundreds of PTI politicians, but its text describes the detention of the chief minister and some cabinet members.

What each side says

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said, according to The Guardian, that talks failed because the PTI refused to publicly condemn militancy. Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said the PTI government is "hand in glove with the terrorists"; Al Jazeera notes he provided no evidence. PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan asked, according to Al Jazeera: "If there is terrorism and an emergency is needed in 12 districts, then why is governor's rule across the whole province?"

According to The Guardian, the federal government and the military accuse the PTI of failing to curb the violence, a charge the party denies. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not state how long the emergency will last, and include no statement from Imran Khan himself.

Analysis

The move places a province governed by the PTI since 2013, according to Al Jazeera, under federal control during a confrontation over Imran Khan's detention. Several paths are possible. Courts could be asked to review the use of Articles 232 and 234, though the reports describe no legal challenge so far. The PTI could seek to revive its march, and the reports note that past large protests ended in deadly clashes. Much may depend on whether the government makes public the evidence it says it holds, and on how long the emergency lasts.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.