Pakistan imposes emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and ousts Imran Khan's party

Federal government assumes control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Pakistan's federal government has declared a state of emergency and imposed governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, effectively dismissing the provincial administration run by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party.

President Asif Ali Zardari signed the proclamation under Articles 232(1) and 234(1) of the Constitution on Sunday, following recommendations from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's cabinet. The order immediately removed Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, his cabinet, and advisers from office. Executive authority has been transferred to Provincial Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, while senior bureaucrat Muhammad Fakhr Alam Irfan was appointed as the province's new chief secretary.

The federal cabinet justified the intervention by citing a sharp increase in militant attacks on security forces and infrastructure, accusing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration of failing to tackle terrorism. Sharif told ministers that the federal government had provided PKR 800 billion to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past decade to strengthen security, but argued that provincial authorities had disengaged from counterterrorism efforts.

Long march and political confrontation

The emergency decree follows days of escalating tension over a long march launched by PTI. Led by Afridi, the demonstration began in Lakki Marwat on October 4 and advanced through several districts toward Islamabad, pressing for Khan's release and medical access for him and his wife, Bushra Bibi.

Federal authorities barricaded major access routes into Islamabad with shipping containers to prevent marchers from entering the capital. Ahead of the presidential declaration, Governor Kundi warned in a video message that anyone attempting to breach law and order would face an "iron hand" response.

Afridi had insisted on Saturday that protests would remain peaceful and argued that military operations could not resolve the province's security challenges.

Constitutional process and political reaction

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan rejected the move as an "alarming and grave political mistake", arguing that suppressing the provincial mandate would worsen political conflict rather than restore stability. PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari warned that federal intervention would only cause further instability and bloodshed.

Under Pakistani constitutional procedure, an emergency declared under Article 232 without a provincial assembly resolution requires parliamentary approval within 10 days. Governor's rule under Article 234 must be ratified by a joint sitting of Parliament within two months and carries an overall limit of six months. Both the National Assembly and the Senate are scheduled to meet on October 13 to review the order. The proclamation did not invoke Article 233, leaving basic fundamental rights formally unaffected.