Five people were injured on October 13, 2026 when Pakistani police fired tear gas and live ammunition at demonstrators opposing Islamabad’s suspension of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s elected government, The Times of India reported.
The intervention places Imran Khan’s principal political stronghold under federal control as supporters demand the jailed former prime minister’s release and medical treatment. The northwestern province, bordering Afghanistan, had been governed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) since 2013.
Islamabad assumed control on October 11, removing the only provincial administration run by the party. Violence was most severe in Bara, about 15 kilometres from provincial capital Peshawar, according to Reuters.
Police said 50 people had been detained and faced possible terrorism and sabotage charges over alleged damage to government property.
President Asif Ali Zardari imposed emergency and governor’s rule under Articles 232(1) and 234(1) of Pakistan’s constitution, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet. The declaration cited threats from intensified militant attacks. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has assumed control, with army personnel authorised to support civilian authorities.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who led a protest march, was placed in protective custody alongside seven PTI leaders. Party spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram rejected the takeover, alleging it targeted the opposition rather than security threats. A petition filed at the Peshawar High Court on October 12 challenged the measures as unlawful.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi defended the intervention, saying federal and provincial authorities were now aligned on security. The Centre for Research and Security Studies, based in Islamabad, recorded 485 civilian and security personnel deaths in the province during January-September 2026, down 16%.
Nationwide fatalities rose 9% over the same period. Khan, 73, has been imprisoned at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since 2023. His wife, three sisters and numerous PTI activists are also detained, deepening the political confrontation as security concerns remain central to Islamabad’s justification.
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