Islamabad, Oct 11 (NVI) The Pakistani regime today declared a State of Emergency in Pashtun-dominated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and dismissed the elected local government led by the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The measures were taken by the federal government ahead of the planned march to Islamabad by supporters of Imran Khan, the chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, demanding his release.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari announced imposition of Emergency rule after the federal Cabinet of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recommended emergency rule, accusing the provincial government of “deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism.”
Sohail Afridi, the ousted Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and his Cabinet ministers were detained by the Pakistani forces on orders by the Federal government.
Afridi launched a protest campaign last week to demand early release of Khan, leading marches through several districts in the province. Yesterday, he gave a call to PTI supporters to prepare to march on Islamabad.
Sharif’s government has been urging Afridi since last month to postpone the march, citing a surge in attacks by the Pakistani Taliban in the northwest.
It has also accused Khan’s party of sympathizing with the militant group, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Khan is Sharif’s main political rival and has been imprisoned since 2023 on corruption and other charges that he and his party say are politically motivated.
Despite his imprisonment, he retains a substantial and passionate support base, keeping him at the center of Pakistan’s turbulent political landscape.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, considered close to the powerful Pakistan Army, accused the provincial government of neglecting counter-terrorism efforts while focusing on securing Khan’s release.
Naqvi said delays in decision-making and poor coordination between Islamabad and the provincial government had allowed militants to gain ground, prompting the decision to impose an emergency in the province.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said militant violence in the province had increased by 196% in recent years.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced an 11-member advisory council, which will run provincial affairs under the governor.
Police detained several supporters of Khan’s party overnight and authorities deployed additional police and security forces to prevent unrest.
Shipping containers placed by police along key routes in Islamabad since last month to block potential rallies have disrupted traffic and forced residents in the capital and neighboring Rawalpindi to take lengthy detours.
Khan’s spokesperson Zulfiquar Bukhari condemned the suspension of the provincial government, calling it a “disguised coup.”
He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was the only one with a genuine popular mandate following the February 2024 parliamentary elections, which Khan’s party says were rigged.
“Now that little bit of democracy is also gone,” Bukhari said in a statement.
Referring to recent talks between Khan’s party and the federal government, Bukhari accused officials of having no intention of reaching an agreement. He said government representatives had focused on counterterrorism, while Khan’s representatives had come to discuss the imprisoned leader’s basic rights.
Talks between Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, and the federal government last week on postponing the march failed.
Besides Khan’s release, his party demanded his transfer to a hospital and permission for his family to visit him.
Sharif’s government has said Khan is in good health and receives regular family visits but maintains that meetings with the imprisoned former leader cannot be used for political purposes. (NVI)
