Imran Khan’s PTI Loses Provincial Powers As Pakistan Declares Emergency In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

• President Zardari declared an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

• The move stripped Imran Khan's party of administrative power.

• Tensions rose as PTI supporters protested for Khan's release.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has declared a state of emergency and suspended ​the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province ruled by the ‌party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday.

With the decision of imposing emergency, the President has stripped the state government of its administrative power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The office of the President said ​in a statement that Zardari signed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's advice to declare a state of ​emergency after a decision of the federal cabinet.

Why Emergency Has Been Imposed?

This decision comes during a major clash between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government and Imran Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which controls the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Khan's supporters have been protesting for days to demand his release, and they are threatening to march on the capital, Islamabad, in the coming days.

Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sohail Afridi, is currently leading a protest march through the province to demand the release of Imran Khan. Khan served as prime minister from 2018 until he was removed in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022.

He has been in prison since August 2023, serving a sentence for a corruption case that he claims is politically motivated, though the government denies this.

What Does The Law Say About Emergency In Pakistan?

The law says that the President can declare an emergency or impose Governor's Rule in a province in any province of the country after consultation with the Federal government.

According to Dawn, the emergency was imposed using Article 232 and Article 234 of Pakistan’s constitution.

The advice from Shari’s government said the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa failed to fight ‌Islamist ⁠militancy, according to a statement from Sharif's office.

Reuters reported that Zulfikar Bukhari, a close aide to Khan and PTI spokesman, labelled the decision as a "ridiculous ​decision", claiming that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was the country's "only ​legitimately elected ⁠government".

He said, "This will only lead to further bloodshed, instability and collateral damage." He further added that there was always space for dialogue, but the decision of the federal government showed negotiations ​were never its intention.