Pakistan Imposes Emergency in Stronghold of Imran Khan’s Party

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday imposed a state of emergency in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because of “the rising incidents of terrorism and a deteriorating law and order situation.”

The president’s declaration under Article 232 of the country’s constitution followed a summary of the security situation in the province sent to him earlier in the day by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The South Asian nation’s federal cabinet held an urgent meeting where it undertook “a detailed review of the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the circumstances arising from the provincial government’s deliberate indifference in the war against terrorism,” according to a statement from Sharif’s office.

Under the constitution, Article 232 can be imposed by the president if there is a threat of war, external aggression or “internal disturbance beyond the power of a provincial government to control.”

Read: Pakistan Strikes Afghanistan, Accuses Kabul of Drone Attacks (1)

Last week, former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party began a march toward Islamabad from its stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after talks with the government broke down over demands including access to its jailed leader.

The province’s Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who was leading the protest, was arrested along with other party leaders and workers, according to PTI. The march was initially scheduled for Sept. 27 but was postponed while discussions were taking place with government officials.

The march threatens to intensify political tensions in the country, where Khan’s imprisonment has fueled repeated standoffs between his party and the authorities. The government warned that a large protest in Islamabad could disrupt business and transport.

Authorities have placed shipping containers and other roadblocks around the capital to prevent demonstrators from entering.

Read: Imran Khan’s Party Revives Protest March After Talks Collapse

Concerns have heightened over Khan’s health and conditions in prison, where he is serving a 14-year sentence in a corruption case.

Khan’s family and lawyers have accused authorities of holding him in inhumane conditions, saying he spends 23 hours a day in a small cell without natural light or contact with other prisoners. Pakistani officials deny the allegations.