Pakistan Imposes Emergency Rule in PTI-Led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province

Pakistan's government has imposed a state of emergency in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to an announcement issued on Sunday.

The emergency was invoked under two constitutional provisions related to security, effectively suspending the provincial government run by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In a social media post, President Asif Ali Zardari said he had approved recommendations put forward by the cabinet. Earlier the same day, the cabinet met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

According to a statement from Sharif's office, cabinet members reviewed the situation and noted that the "provincial government deliberately withdrew from the war on terrorism."

The move comes as PTI was preparing a march toward the capital, Islamabad, to demand Khan's release. Khan has been imprisoned for more than three years but has retained broad support across the country.