Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday imposed an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province governed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan‘s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI), suspending the provincial government and imposing governor’s rule.
As per Pakistan’s Dawn, the action has been taken under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, the President House mentioned in a statement. Both the provisions were imposed soon after a meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the meeting, Sharif was told about the situation in the province.
The Prime Minister Office (PMO) released a statement where it stated that cabinet members analysed the prevailing situation and observed the “provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism”.
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa emergency comes days after protests
Just a few days back, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi stepped up the mobilisation by PTI against the federal government and the military establishment as part of the party’s campaign for the release of Imran Khan and other jailed PTI leaders.
Afridi expressed commitment to sustaining political pressure until jailed leaders, including Imran Khan, his spouse Bushra Bibi, and his sister Aleema Khan, secured their freedom. He encouraged participants to strongly raise demands for legal redress and accountability on behalf of detained party cadres and leadership.
Targeting the country’s younger demographic, Afridi declared that “victory will belong to Imran Khan and Pakistan’s youth”.
Condemning the security paradigm implemented in the province, the chief minister launched a scathing critique of Islamabad’s management.
“Terrorism has been imposed on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Due to the federal government’s failed policies, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has always remained engulfed in the lap of gunpowder and fire. Innocent people of my province are martyred in military operations and drone strikes, which are labeled as collateral damage, and the matter is brushed aside with a mere sorry. The policy that will work here is only Imran Khan’s. The welfare of the country and the nation lies in that very policy.”
Imran Khan imprisoned since 2023
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since 2023 on corruption and other charges that he and PTI say are politically motivated. Khan, who is the main political rival of Shehbaz Sharif, retains a substantial and passionate support base, keeping him at the center of Pakistan’s turbulent political landscape.
