Islamabad, Oct. 12: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday declared a state of emergency in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan and suspended its government, which is led by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, ahead of a planned march on Islamabad by supporters demanding his release.
Zardari acted on the recommendation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's Cabinet, according to a statement from the president's office. The measures place the province under the authority of the governor, who represents the federal government.
The announcement came hours after Sharif's office said that the federal Cabinet had recommended emergency rule, accusing the provincial government of "deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism."
No protests were reported against the suspension of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's government, where police detained several supporters of Khan's PTI party overnight. Authorities deployed additional police and security forces in the province and Islamabad to prevent unrest.
Shipping containers placed by police along key routes in Islamabad since last month to block potential rallies have disrupted traffic and forced residents in the capital and neighboring Rawalpindi to take lengthy detours.
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