Imran Khan's party's provincial government suspended by Pakistan president
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s president suspended the government in a province ruled by the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan after declaring a state of emergency on Sunday, his office said, stripping its elected administration of its powers.
Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari has suspended the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a region governed by Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), following a state of emergency declaration. The suspension strips the elected administration of its powers, according to Khan's office. The decision comes amid tensions between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government and Khan's PTI party, which has been advocating for Khan's release from detention and threatening to march on Islamabad.
The federal cabinet's recommendation for the emergency was signed off by the president, citing the provincial government's failure to combat Islamist militancy. The PTI has responded negatively to the suspension, calling it a "ridiculous decision" and warning that it could result in further bloodshed, instability, and collateral damage.
Khan's spokesman, Zulfikar Bukhari, emphasized that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had the country's only legitimately elected government and suggested that talks could have been an alternative, but the decision appeared to indicate that negotiations were never the government's goal.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
