Pakistan's president imposes emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, effectively suspending PTI-led government

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari imposed a state of emergency in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday.

The emergency effectively suspends the provincial government. That government is run by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is in prison.

The move came from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government. According to Deutsche Welle, Sharif proposed it. According to Al Jazeera, the cabinet recommended it at a meeting held under Sharif. Zardari then approved it. Al Jazeera reports that Zardari said in a social media post that he had approved the cabinet's recommendations.

The emergency was invoked under constitutional articles dealing with security. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not name the specific articles. Deutsche Welle reports that the articles give the central government sweeping powers in emergencies.

According to Al Jazeera, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told a news conference in Islamabad that the provincial governor will take charge with an advisory council, initially for six months.

Al Jazeera also reports that PTI lawmaker Junaid Akbar said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had been arrested, along with PTI's provincial president. The reports do not include official confirmation of the arrests or any stated grounds.

The emergency comes as PTI supporters mobilize for a march on Islamabad to demand Khan's release. According to Al Jazeera, the march was postponed from 27 September to 4 October to allow talks. The government said it would not allow the march into the capital and has used shipping containers to block main access routes.

What is disputed

The reports differ on whether the march has begun. Deutsche Welle reports that thousands of Khan supporters began moving from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa towards Islamabad "last Sunday". Al Jazeera describes the PTI as preparing for the march and does not state that it has started.

What each side says

The government says the provincial authorities have not done enough to curb militant violence. Al Jazeera quotes a statement from Sharif's office citing the "provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism". According to Deutsche Welle, the government also says the PTI sympathizes with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The PTI calls that accusation a baseless smear campaign.

Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, quoted PTI spokesman Zulfikar Bukhari as saying the emergency would lead to "further bloodshed, instability and collateral damage". He said there had been room for talks.

According to Deutsche Welle, Khan has been in prison since August 2023 and faces charges including corruption and treason. Khan calls the charges politically motivated. His supporters say the 2024 election was rigged. The government denies this.

Analysis

The emergency places the province, governed by Imran Khan's PTI, under the provincial governor and an advisory council, at a time of planned street mobilization. Several outcomes are possible. Talks between the government and the PTI could resume, or tensions around the march could increase. Courts or parliament could become venues for challenges, though the reports do not describe any. Much depends on details not yet included in the reports: the specific constitutional articles invoked, official confirmation of the reported arrests, and evidence for the government's security claims. Each of these could shape how the move is assessed, both within Pakistan and abroad.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.