Islamabad, October 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Gohar Ali Khan has accused the federal government of using emergency measures and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to target the opposition party, arguing that the steps risk turning security concerns into a tool for political victimisation.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament on Monday, Khan opposed the imposition of governor’s rule and emergency measures in the province while stressing that terrorism must be eliminated.
“You have imposed governor’s rule and an emergency, both of which we reject. Terrorism must be eliminated; there can be no two opinions on that,” he said, according to Pakistani media reports.
Khan also criticised the extension of the detention of Aleema Khan, a sister of jailed former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan. He said the additional 30 days of detention were unjustified, particularly as she was not a political figure.
Pakistan’s federal government imposed emergency measures and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following recommendations from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet, which were approved by President Asif Ali Zardari on October 11. The measures suspended the provincial government led by PTI and were accompanied by the announced deployment of federal forces.
Provincial Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and several cabinet members were detained on October 12, as PTI prepared protests demanding Imran Khan’s release.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also called for the emergency and governor’s rule to be lifted, the provincial assembly restored and the elected chief executive and other arbitrarily detained individuals released.
The rights body described the intervention in the country’s only opposition-led province as particularly troubling and warned against arbitrary detention, restrictions on political activity and the erosion of democratic safeguards.
While condemning militancy and terrorism, the HRCP stressed that counterterrorism operations must remain within the law and must not be used to justify collective punishment or suppress fundamental rights. It urged the federal government and PTI to resume political dialogue to address security challenges and protect civil liberties.
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