On Sunday, a state of emergency was proclaimed and the provincial administration of former Prime Minister Imran Khan — currently imprisoned — was dissolved, with the federal government having put forward allegations that the province had not adequately addressed Islamist militancy within its borders. Under the constitution, authority exists for the federal government to assume partial or complete control of provincial government operations when an emergency arises.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, speaking at a news conference in Islamabad, outlined an arrangement under which a provincial governor would assume administrative charge supported by an advisory council, with the setup expected to run for an initial period of six months.
The interior ministry announced plans to deploy troops to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a northwestern region bordering Afghanistan that has recorded a rising number of armed attacks over recent months, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi noting that residents in certain districts had largely stopped venturing outside after nightfall.
Responsibility for the security threat has become a contested point between the federal government and military on one side — arguing that Khan's party failed to take adequate steps — and the party on the other, which maintains it lacked the necessary resources and equipment to act. Islamabad maintains that Afghan territory is used as a base for Islamist militant groups responsible for cross-border attacks within Pakistan, and has further contended that Khan's political movement extended a degree of sympathy toward both the Taliban administration in Kabul and allied factions operating domestically. Rejections of the allegation were put forward by both the Afghan Taliban and Khan's party.
A state of emergency was formally put in place after the federal cabinet reached its decision, with the president's office confirming that Asif Ali Zardari acted on the recommendation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif told the cabinet that security forces and civilians had faced sustained attacks over the preceding two years, adding that the government could not remain a passive observer.
The development followed days of street mobilisation by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which has been pressing for his release and has indicated plans to converge on Islamabad as political tensions in the country continue to mount. Supporters of Khan contend that the 2024 election was manipulated against him by the military — a claim the military has rejected. Zulfikar Bukhari, a party spokesperson and aide to Khan, characterised the situation as an emergency serving as cover for a takeover, and cautioned that the course of events carries a prospect of further violence and instability.
In the hours leading up to the march, Khan's three sisters were among those detained, joining hundreds of party members who were also taken into custody before the demonstration could get under way. A close aide reported that travel and movement limitations had been imposed on Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who leads Khan's party.
Interior ministry officials reported that major highways into Islamabad were sealed off using shipping containers, with tens of thousands of security personnel stationed along the routes, as part of measures taken to prevent demonstrators from assembling near parliament. About two years before this gathering, a rally organised by the same party descended into disorder, and people lost their lives when clashes broke out between those attending and law enforcement officers. Demonstrations against Khan's detention rippled through cities and towns nationwide during 2023.
Among the charges and accusations brought against Khan, the matters at hand have spanned questions over the handling of state gifts, allegations tied to inciting violence, and a claim concerning a marriage deemed unlawful. Of the convictions recorded, nearly all have had their outcomes set aside or placed under appeal, with only one remaining intact. Khan has maintained that no wrongdoing has taken place on his part.
Anger over the cost of living and fuel prices, which has drawn in people well beyond Khan's established base, forms part of the backdrop against which the latest demonstration has taken place.
