Key facts
- Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari declared a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
- The emergency suspends the local government led by Imran Khan's PTI party.
- Khan's party claims the move is a pretext for a political takeover and to stop supporters marching on Islamabad.
- Khan's party challenged the emergency rule at Peshawar High Court.
- Imran Khan is jailed on corruption charges and his family reports his health is worsening.
- Thousands of Khan's supporters had rallied in the province prior to the emergency declaration.
Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari declared a state of emergency in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a stronghold of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, citing a rise in militant attacks. The move suspends the provincial government led by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and places an opponent from Zardari's party in charge.
Khan's party alleges the emergency is a pretext for a political takeover of the region and to prevent supporters from marching on the capital, Islamabad. The party has challenged the emergency rule in the Peshawar High Court. Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide to Khan, called the move ridiculous and unrelated to Khan's human rights.
Prior to the emergency declaration, thousands of Khan's supporters had rallied in the province, intending to march on Islamabad to demand his release and medical treatment. Khan's sisters and hundreds of supporters were arrested ahead of the planned march.
Political commentator Najam Sethi stated that the situation will make things harder for Imran Khan, with the PTI losing concessions and control of its provincial government. The situation also exacerbates tensions between Khan and Pakistani military chief Asim Munir.
Khan, a 74-year-old former cricket star, was jailed in 2023 on corruption charges, which he denies. His family has expressed concern over his worsening health, including vision loss, fluctuating blood pressure, and psychological effects from solitary confinement, and has demanded urgent medical intervention.
To prevent a repeat of past deadly clashes and riots that followed Khan's arrest, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government had engaged in talks with the PTI. The PTI's demands included private medical assistance for Khan, prison visits, and phone calls with his sons. The government, in turn, sought public condemnation of Islamist militancy, attendance at funerals for security personnel, and cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts. Junior Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry told Reuters that the PTI rejected the government's demands after receiving almost everything they asked for.
This is the fifth state of emergency declared in Pakistani provinces since 1975, with three occurring in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one each in Punjab and Balochistan. These past emergencies were typically reversed within months through court or political intervention. Rights groups and analysts have raised concerns about the emergency rule and warned against crackdowns, with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan urging a resumption of political dialogue between the federal government and the PTI.