Pakistan detains 278 members of ex-PM Khan’s party — Channel NewsAsia

In Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 278 members of the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were detained after emergency rule was imposed. This was reported by Channel NewsAsia, citing AFP and two unnamed police officials.

According to AFP’s sources, the detentions have taken place since emergency rule was declared in the province on Sunday.

Emergency rule in the province

Emergency rule was imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after several days of anti-government protests demanding Khan’s release. Thousands of his supporters took part in marches in the province, also voicing dissatisfaction with the difficult economic situation.

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Pakistan’s authorities said that the provincial government formed by PTI would not function until the security situation improves. Islamabad accused the regional administration of being unable to counter militants. Violence linked to militants has recently intensified in areas of the province bordering Afghanistan.

Detention of the provincial government head

PTI said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government head Sohail Afridi was detained several hours after Pakistan’s presidential administration announced emergency constitutional measures. An unnamed administration official told AFP that Afridi was placed in “protective custody” at his official residence and was later moved to another location. The official did not disclose his whereabouts.

Khan’s party called the measures undemocratic and said they were, in its view, an attempt by the federal government to seize power. Khan himself has been in custody since August 2023 and faces dozens of charges, ranging from corruption to incitement to violence. He and his lawyers reject the accusations, calling them politically motivated.