Pakistan's federal government, citing counterterrorism, takes over KP province led by Imran Khan's party, imposing emergency rule and governor's rule simultaneously

According to Al Jazeera reports, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday signed a proclamation on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, simultaneously imposing emergency rule and governor's rule in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (KP), governed since 2013 by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, bypassing the provincial elected government. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and multiple PTI provincial leaders were subsequently detained. This marks at least the eighth time since 1949 that Pakistan has imposed governor's rule on a province; KP was taken over by the central government twice before, in 1975 and 1994.

The proclamation invokes Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. The former applies to situations where "internal unrest exceeds the control capacity of the provincial government," while the latter applies when the governor reports that the "provincial government is unable to function in accordance with the Constitution." Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar explained at a Sunday news conference that the basis for invoking both simultaneously was that "the situation is so severe and exceptional that both provisions are triggered at the same time."

However, the core accusation underlying the action—that the PTI provincial government was "in cahoots" with terrorists—was raised at the same press conference by Information Minister Ataullah Tarar, but Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi acknowledged on the spot that the "dozens of pieces of evidence" held by the federal government had not been made public. Al Jazeera noted that no specific materials were presented at the entire press conference.

Those detained are not only opposition officials. On Monday, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry confirmed that KP Chief Minister Afridi had been taken into custody. PTI former provincial finance minister Taimur Jhagra told Al Jazeera that several provincial leaders, including Provincial Assembly Speaker Babar Swati and Provincial Secretary General Junaid Akbar, were also "in custody, with the authorities not disclosing their whereabouts." Naqvi said on Sunday that the individuals in question were either under "protective custody" or had been arrested, and would be released only after "the situation improves."

Provincial power has been transferred to the federal level: Pakistan Peoples Party member Faisal Karim Kundi, in the capacity of governor, leads an 11-member advisory committee exercising governmental functions. The federal parliament holds a majority among the Muslim League (Sharif faction), the Pakistan Peoples Party, and their allies, and this majority has been used to take over the powers of the provincial assembly, where PTI holds a majority. Hassan Abdullah Niazi, a part-time lecturer at the Lahore University of Management Sciences and practicing lawyer, told Al Jazeera that the bypassed provincial assembly and elected chief minister are closer to being "temporarily incapacitated" rather than "permanently removed," and would have to be reinstated after the emergency ends, but actual voting power would lie with the ruling coalition.

More noteworthy is the suspension of constitutional guarantees regarding the separation of the judiciary and the executive. According to Al Jazeera reports, a separate federal order established dedicated secretariats for 12 "designated areas"—mostly located in the former tribal areas bordering Afghanistan—led by an additional chief secretary. The order explicitly stipulates that the constitutional provisions on the separation of the judiciary and the executive "do not apply" in these areas. Rida Hussain, a constitutional lawyer in Lahore, told Al Jazeera that this means administrative officials will be allowed to exercise judicial functions. She further noted that emergency provisions allow the executive branch to "suspend certain fundamental rights" and that "there is no fixed time limit for the emergency," leaving institutional space for prolonged federal control.

The federal government attributes this action to "unprecedented" terrorist threats in KP province. According to Al Jazeera, citing data from the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute of Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), there were at least 1,066 armed attacks nationwide in 2025, compared with 908 in 2024; 1,232 attacks have been recorded in the first nine months of 2026, with the majority occurring in KP province and the southwestern Balochistan province. However, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan questioned: "If there is terrorism in 12 areas, why should governor's rule cover the entire province?" Jhagra further countered that KP has been fighting terrorism, and "If the issue were really terrorism, then Balochistan should have entered emergency before KP."

According to Al Jazeera reports, internet monitoring organization NetBlocks reported large-scale internet disruptions in parts of KP province on Sunday night. Schools and colleges in Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, and Nowshera were closed by district-level administrations on Monday.

Procedurally, since Zardari did not obtain a provincial assembly resolution, the Constitution mandates that both houses of the federal parliament approve the emergency before October 21; both houses have been convened to meet on Tuesday. The emergency lapses after two months unless extended by a joint sitting of the two houses; the joint sitting must be convened within 30 days. Governor's rule, under Article 234, can be extended by parliament in two-month increments but cannot exceed six months in total. PTI has stated it will challenge both measures in both the courts and parliament. Gohar said PTI's "struggle will absolutely continue," and the originally planned long march has not been formally cancelled.