The federal government has declared a state of emergency and imposed Governor's Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), suspending the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial administration and placing Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in preventive custody, in one of the most dramatic constitutional interventions Pakistan has witnessed in recent years.
President Asif Ali Zardari signed the proclamation under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's federal cabinet. The move takes direct effect across the province, handing administrative control to the Governor.
Officials Cite Security Breakdown
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi jointly addressed the media, stating the Centre had "solid evidence" that the PTI-led provincial government was failing to contain a deteriorating security environment and had shown a "complete breakdown" in counterterrorism coordination. The ministers alleged the deposed administration had been working against state security interests.
Alongside CM Sohail Afridi, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar were among those detained or placed under house arrest under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance. Federal authorities indicated that individuals facing specific criminal charges would be processed formally, while others held purely for preventive order would be released after assessment.
Schools Closed, Internet Disrupted in Major KP Cities
The emergency declaration triggered immediate disruptions on the ground. Educational institutions in Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, and Nowshera were ordered shut. Mobile internet services in several districts were suspended, and security forces were deployed on major arterial roads across the province.
PTI Rejects Emergency, Calls for Resistance
PTI leadership strongly rejected the emergency as unconstitutional, with party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan describing it as "political victimisation" and a calculated bid to dismantle Pakistan's largest opposition party. PTI said the suspension of an elected provincial government bypassed democratic institutions and ignored the party's mandate from the people of KP.
Amnesty International also raised concerns over mass detentions and restrictions on freedom of assembly, calling on Pakistani authorities to ensure that anyone held is brought before a competent court within the timeframes required by law.
The situation remains fast-developing, with federal officials and provincial PTI leaders offering sharply conflicting accounts of events leading to the emergency declaration. For the latest developments from Islamabad and across Pakistan, follow PakPulse247's Pakistan News coverage.