Pakistan has detained an aide to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and several cabinet members, the government said on Monday, a day after it suspended the provincial government.
President Asif Ali Zardari declared a state of emergency in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, saying the administration had failed to tackle Islamist militancy.
Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister of Law and Justice, said a governor would take charge. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party rejected the move, saying it was intended to deter his supporters from marching on the capital to demand his release.
The detentions took place on Sunday at the chief minister's residence in Peshawar, where police and paramilitary forces sealed off the area using shipping containers, witnesses and officials said. Khan's three sisters and hundreds of supporters were also detained ahead of the planned march.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, a Khan ally, and several cabinet members were taken into custody, the government said. “Yes, I can confirm that the Chief Minister and some of his cabinet members have been taken into preventive custody,” Junior Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry told Reuters.
The imposition of emergency rule and suspension of the provincial government have led to a sharp rise in tension between Khan, 74, a former cricket star, and Pakistan's powerful military.
The move came a week after Khan's supporters had rallied for days in the province, preparing to march on Islamabad to demand his release and access to medical treatment.
Mr Chaudhry said those facing charges would be prosecuted, while the others would be released. He added that the detentions occurred on Sunday at the provincial chief minister's house in Peshawar, the provincial capital.
Khan aide Shaukat Yousafzai demanded the release of all those held.
The PTI's last large-scale protest two years ago ended in deadly clashes with security forces. Khan's arrest in 2023 also sparked nationwide riots during which some of his supporters attacked military installations.
Pakistan's constitution allows the government to assume control of a provincial administration during an emergency.
The government and PTI have held several rounds of talks since the party called for the march on Islamabad last month.
The government was ready to accept all the PTI's demands, including permission for the march, Mr Chaudhry said. “We asked for just one thing, that the party should publicly condemn militancy and join us in the fight against militant groups,” he added.
The PTI refused and the talks broke down, he said.