Pakistan president imposes emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

Pakistan's president imposed emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on 11 October 2026, suspending the provincial government led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. President Asif Ali Zardari signed the order after a federal cabinet decision, stripping the elected provincial administration of its powers as thousands of Khan's supporters protested and demanded his release from jail.channelnewsasia.com+1

The emergency was invoked under two articles of Pakistan's constitution dealing with security, granting the federal government sweeping administrative powers over the province. The constitution allows the federal government to take over some or all provincial government functions during an emergency, though the president's office did not specify how the province would be administered. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a stronghold of Khan's PTI party.al-monitor.com+1

Why the federal government acted

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's office said the decision was taken over the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the provincial government's deliberate indifference in the war against terrorism. President Zardari approved recommendations made by the cabinet, which had met under Sharif earlier in the day. The move effectively sidelines the PTI-led provincial government under the extraordinary constitutional measures.

Sharif's government claims regional authorities have not done enough to curb Islamist violence in the province. Pakistan has blamed an increase in attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southern border province of Balochistan on militancy emanating from Afghanistan. The Taliban government in Kabul denies such claims and criticises Pakistan for violating Afghanistan's sovereignty and killing civilians. The two neighbouring countries have traded these accusations repeatedly.

PTI supporters began long march demonstrations between towns and cities throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a week before 11 October, after talks with the government broke down. The march was originally scheduled for 27 September but was postponed until 4 October to allow talks between the government and PTI leadership. Talks broke down on 4 October, prompting the start of the demonstrations. Protesters' demands included access to Khan by his doctors.

How the protests unfolded

The government had sought to avoid the opposition show of force but had also tied negotiations on PTI demands to agreement on security measures in PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The government said it would not allow the march to enter the capital, Islamabad, and had erected barriers using shipping containers to block main access routes. An increased security presence could be seen in Peshawar, the provincial capital, on 11 October, and roads in other cities remained closed.

Khan, a former cricket star who began his term as prime minister in August 2018 and was ousted in April 2022 after losing a no-confidence vote, has been in prison since August 2023. He faces charges ranging from corruption to treason and inciting violence after widespread anti-establishment riots in May 2023. Khan and his legal team reject the allegations as politically motivated cases aimed at neutralising his popularity.

PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan called the emergency move an extremely alarming and grave political mistake and an undemocratic measure, adding that the people will never accept such actions against their rights. PTI spokesman Zulfikar Bukhari said the decision would only lead to further bloodshed, instability and collateral damage, and that there had always been room for talks but the decision showed negotiations were never the government's intention.

What the opposition says

PTI lawmaker Junaid Akbar said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was arrested along with the party's president in the province shortly after the announcement. Khan's supporters claim the 2024 election that brought Shehbaz Sharif back to power was rigged, an accusation the government denies. The Sharif government accuses PTI of sympathising with the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, which PTI rejects as a baseless smear campaign.