Pakistan Imposes Emergency and Governor's Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari declared a state of emergency and imposed governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, 11 October 2026, suspending the provincial government led by the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. The action followed a federal cabinet decision and advice from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The proclamation was made under Articles 232 and 234 of the constitution, which allow the centre to assume provincial functions during a breakdown of constitutional machinery or security crisis. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said Governor Faisal Karim Kundi will take charge with an 11-member advisory council. The arrangement is initially for six months. The interior ministry said troops will be deployed in the province.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the only province still governed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and other provincial office-holders must vacate their posts immediately. The federal government accused the province of deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described districts where residents do not leave their homes after evening because of the security situation.

The province borders Afghanistan and has seen a rise in attacks by militants linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Officials cited years of violence against security forces and civilians. PTI has denied the accusations and has organised a long march demanding Khan’s release. Protests have drawn thousands in recent weeks. Some PTI figures alleged arrests of provincial leaders after the emergency was imposed.

The constitution permits the federal government to take over executive and legislative powers in a province under emergency. The move marks the sharpest escalation yet by the military-backed federal government against PTI in its stronghold of roughly 40 million people. Negotiations between the centre and the province had failed. A day earlier Zardari and Sharif discussed the security situation.

The presidential office said the decision followed reports from institutions on law and order and the failure of talks. Governor Kundi called for unity. The arrangement places day-to-day administration under a federal appointee while the army assists in protecting public property and installations.

The immediate effect is the removal of the last elected PTI provincial government and the concentration of security authority in Islamabad. How the emergency is administered, and whether it reduces militant attacks or intensifies political confrontation, will shape the province’s next six months.