Pakistan suspends province led by Khan's party ahead of march

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 11 Oct, 11:19 · Archive

Pakistan's president has declared a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and suspended its government, led by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari declared a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday and suspended its government, placing it under the authority of the provincial governor who represents the federal government. The action came on the recommendation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's Cabinet, which accused the provincial government of 'deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism'.

The suspension precedes a planned march to Islamabad by supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose party leads the suspended provincial government. Police detained several supporters of Khan's PTI party overnight, and authorities deployed additional security forces in the province and the capital to prevent unrest.

Zulfiquar Bukhari, Khan's spokesperson, condemned the suspension, calling it a 'disguised coup'. He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was the only one with genuine popular support after the February 2024 parliamentary elections, which Khan's party claims were rigged. 'Now that little bit of democracy is also gone,' Bukhari said.

Authorities have placed shipping containers along key routes in Islamabad since last month to block potential rallies, disrupting traffic and forcing residents in the capital and neighbouring Rawalpindi to take lengthy detours.

How it is being reported

• Pakistan's president suspends provincial government led by Khan’s party ahead of marchPakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has declared a state of emergency in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.News4Jax · 11 Oct, 10:20
• Pakistan's president suspends provincial government led by Khan’s party ahead of marchPakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has declared a state of emergency in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.Clickorlando · 11 Oct, 10:20

In this story: Asif Ali Zardari · Imran Khan · Shehbaz Sharif · Khyber Pakhtunkhwa · Islamabad · Afghanistan · Zulfiquar Bukhari · PTI

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem