Pakistan detains 278 PTI members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after emergency rule

Police in Pakistan's northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have detained 278 members of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, according to two police officials who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media. The detentions have taken place since Sunday, when emergency measures were declared in the province. Thousands of Khan's supporters had been marching across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a PTI stronghold, airing anti-government grievances fuelled by harsh economic conditions.

The extraordinary constitutional measures were announced by Pakistan's presidency, and the PTI said hours later that the province's chief minister, Sohail Afridi, had been arrested. An administrative official, also speaking anonymously to AFP, said Afridi had instead been placed in what was described as protective custody at his official residence before being moved to a different location. The official declined to say where he was taken.

The federal government said the PTI-led administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would remain non-functional until the security situation improves. Islamabad has accused the provincial PTI government of failing to deal with militants, which it says made emergency rule necessary. Militant violence in the area has been mounting, particularly along the border with Afghanistan.

The PTI has vehemently opposed the constitutional measures, describing them as undemocratic and a power grab by the federal government. Khan, a hugely popular former cricket star, has been behind bars since August 2023, facing scores of charges ranging from corruption to inciting violence following widespread anti-establishment riots in May that year. He and his legal team reject the allegations, calling them politically motivated.

It was not immediately clear how long the emergency measures would stay in force or what would happen to the detained party members. The detentions mark a further escalation in the standoff between the federal government and Khan's party, which has governed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and drawn large crowds to its protest marches.