Peshawar, October 12
Police have detained 278 members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, following the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Two police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said emergency rule was declared in the province following anti-government protests on Sunday demanding Khan’s release. They said party members had been detained since Sunday.
Khan’s supporters have been staging protests against the government, expressing dissatisfaction with the country’s difficult economic conditions. Thousands of supporters have been participating in a march in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where militant violence is also escalating, particularly in areas bordering Afghanistan.
The PTI said provincial Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was arrested hours after the president announced extraordinary constitutional measures. An administrative official said Afridi was placed in protective custody at his official residence before being moved to another location. The official declined to disclose his whereabouts.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a stronghold of the PTI. The federal government has said the PTI-led provincial administration cannot function effectively until the security situation improves. It has accused the provincial government of failing to control militant activities and argued that emergency rule is necessary.
The PTI has opposed the constitutional measures, describing them as undemocratic and an attempt by the federal government to seize power.
Khan, a former international cricketer, has been in prison since August 2023. He faces allegations, including corruption and inciting violence, following violent anti-government and anti-military protests in May 2023. Khan and his legal team have denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated.
—RSS/AFP
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