ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — Pakistan has imposed emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, suspending the provincial government led by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party amid escalating political tensions and concerns over militant violence.

President Asif Ali Zardari approved the federal cabinet’s recommendation on Sunday under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, according to the President’s House. The decision followed a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the province’s deteriorating security situation.

The Prime Minister’s Office accused the provincial government of deliberately disengaging from counterterrorism efforts, arguing that its response to the growing militant threat had been inadequate. The provincial administration has disputed the federal government’s position.

Under the arrangement, the provincial governor will exercise executive authority with the assistance of an 11-member advisory council. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the arrangement would initially remain in force for six months. The federal government has also authorised the deployment of military personnel to assist civil authorities in the province.

The move comes amid a deepening confrontation between Islamabad and the PTI, which retains control of the provincial government. The party has rejected the federal intervention, describing it as an attack on the province’s democratic mandate and constitutional autonomy.

PTI leaders have also challenged the federal government’s allegations concerning counterterrorism, arguing that insufficient resources and equipment have hampered efforts to tackle militancy. The dispute has intensified as the party continues its campaign for the release of Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023.

Separately, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan claimed that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had been taken into custody following the announcement. Reports from Reuters and Dawn indicated that Afridi’s movements had been restricted, although the circumstances of his reported detention were not independently confirmed in the cited accounts.

The imposition of emergency and governor’s rule marks a significant escalation in Pakistan’s political crisis, placing the relationship between the federal government and the PTI-led province under renewed strain.

The decision is also likely to intensify debate over the limits of federal authority, provincial autonomy and the constitutional safeguards governing an elected provincial administration, as security concerns increasingly intersect with the country’s political divisions.