Pakistan detains Imran Khan ally in stronghold province

The Pakistani government has detained an aide to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and several cabinet members in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, following the suspension of the provincial government. President Asif Ali Zardari declared a state of emergency in the region on Sunday, citing the administration's inability to address Islamist militancy.

Azam Nazeer Tarar, the Minister of Law and Justice, announced that a governor would assume control of the province, where police and paramilitary forces sealed off the chief minister's residence in Peshawar, the provincial capital. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party criticized the move, asserting it aimed to prevent supporters from marching on Islamabad to demand Khan's release.

Notable figures detained in the crackdown include Khan's three sisters and hundreds of supporters. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, a loyal ally of Khan, and several cabinet members were also taken into custody. Talal Chaudhry, a junior Interior Minister, confirmed the detentions to Reuters, stating that those facing charges would be prosecuted, while others would be released.

The government maintains that the detentions are within their constitutional authority to assume control during an emergency. However, the PTI has rejected the move, maintaining that it seeks to deter supporters from marching on the capital. The government and the PTI have engaged in multiple rounds of talks since the party called for the protest last month, with the latter refusing to condemn militancy, a condition the government believed would facilitate negotiations.