Pakistan imposes emergency rule in ​province governed by Imran Khan’s party

PM’s office says cabinet move follows ‘provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism’.

Supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's PTI party take part in a march in Khyber district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on October 7, 2026 [Abdul Majeed/AFP]

Authorities in Pakistan have announced a state of emergency in the northwestern ‌Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The state of emergency was invoked on Sunday under two articles of the constitution dealing with security. It effectively suspends the provincial government run by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of jailed former Prime ⁠Minister Imran Khan.

President Asif Ali Zardari said in a social media post he had approved the recommendations made by the cabinet, which had held a meeting under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier in the day.

A statement issued by Sharif’s office said cabinet members reviewed the situation and took note of the “provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism”.

It comes as PTI has been preparing for a march on the capital, Islamabad, to demand the release of Khan, who has been in jail for more than three years but still commands widespread popularity across the country.

总理办公室表示，内阁的这一举动是“省政府蓄意退出反恐斗争”的结果。

2026年10月7日，被监禁的前总理伊姆兰·汗的巴基斯坦正义运动党（PTI）的支持者在巴基斯坦开伯尔-普赫图赫瓦省开伯尔地区举行游行。[Abdul Majeed/AFP]

巴基斯坦当局宣布西北部开伯尔-普赫图赫瓦省进入紧急状态。

周日，巴基斯坦政府依据宪法中两项有关安全的条款宣布进入紧急状态。此举实际上暂停了由被监禁的前总理伊姆兰·汗所在的巴基斯坦正义运动党（PTI）执政的省政府的运作。

阿西夫·阿里·扎尔达里总统在社交媒体上发帖称，他已批准内阁提出的建议。内阁当天早些时候在总理谢赫巴兹·谢里夫的主持下召开了会议。

谢里夫办公室发表声明称，内阁成员审查了局势，并注意到“省政府蓄意退出反恐斗争”。

与此同时，巴基斯坦正义运动党（PTI）正准备在首都伊斯兰堡举行游行，要求释放伊姆兰·汗。伊姆兰·汗已被监禁三年多，但在全国范围内仍然拥有广泛的支持率。