Hundreds of politicians from former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI party have been detained in Pakistan after emergency rule was imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
President Asif Ali Zardari declared the emergency and suspended the provincial government, led by Khan ally Sohail Afridi, on Sunday. Government minister Talal Chaudhry confirmed that the chief minister and some cabinet members were taken into preventive custody at the chief minister’s house in Peshawar. He said those facing cases would be charged and tried, while others would be released.
The federal government said the province had failed to tackle Islamist militancy. PTI rejected that explanation, saying the move was intended to stop Khan’s supporters marching to Islamabad to demand his release. Supporters had rallied in the province for days the previous week, also calling for him to receive medical treatment.
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