
Pakistan's president signed emergency measures giving the federal government sweeping powers in the province.
Pakistan has imposed emergency measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province following protests demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and security tensions.
AI-generated summary
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 on several charges following anti-government riots.
Pakistan imposed emergency measures in a northern province on Sunday, the presidency announced, following anti-government protests in the region and violence in the northwest.
The measures, invoked on the basis of two security-related articles of the Pakistani Constitution, give the federal government broad administrative powers over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where thousands of supporters of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan are marching to demand his release.
An image released by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari shows his signature approving the measures under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. Zardari signed after recommendations “regarding the law and order situation and the failure of negotiations with government delegations,” his office said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's office said the decision was taken due to the "deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and... deliberate indifference of the provincial government in the war against terrorism."
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a stronghold of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, whose provincial government will be marginalized under these extraordinary constitutional measures.
Former cricket star Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 on charges ranging from corruption to treason to inciting violence, following anti-government riots in May 2023. He rejects these allegations and believes he is being targeted because of his popularity.
Discontent among his supporters has intensified in recent months, particularly over the 73-year-old's medical care and access to his family.
In August, the Supreme Court ordered his transfer to a private hospital, but authorities returned him to prison after a short stay in a public hospital. On Sunday, an AFP journalist noted a reinforced security presence in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Roads in other towns in the province remained closed.
Thousands of supporters of Khan's PTI party began demonstrations demanding the former prime minister's release a week ago as they protested across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, marching between towns and cities. The government had sought to avoid this show of strength by the opposition, but had also linked negotiations on PTI demands, including Khan's access to his doctors, to an agreement on security measures in PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The talks broke down on October 4, triggering the start of protests.
Pakistan has attributed the rise in attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southern border province of Balochistan to militancy emanating from neighboring Afghanistan. The Taliban government denies the accusations and criticizes Pakistan for violating Afghanistan's sovereignty and killing civilians. These accusations triggered a deep rupture and armed conflict between the two neighboring countries.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
PTI protests continue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
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