Pakistan has locked down Imran Khan's stronghold - but it could backfire

What the report says

Pakistan has imposed emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the northern province that is the political stronghold of former prime minister Imran Khan’s party, after days of protests by his supporters demanding his release. According to the BBC, the measures included school closures, partial internet shutdowns, blocked roads and the arrival of army personnel, while the provincial PTI government was suspended. The federal government said the step was needed to protect residents from a terror threat, though it did not immediately provide evidence for the claim.

The BBC reports that the move came as thousands of PTI supporters marched in the province and as senior party figures went into hiding. In the provincial capital Peshawar and other areas, restrictions have begun to ease somewhat, with schools reopening and internet services restored, but police activity suggests a continuing crackdown. Some PTI leaders and supporters have faced arrests or detention, and the whereabouts of provincial chief minister Sohail Afridi remained unclear at the time of publication.

Observers quoted by the BBC questioned whether the security rationale was the real motive, suggesting the timing may be linked to pressure on Khan’s party. Khan has been jailed since August 2023 and is serving sentences in corruption cases he says are politically driven. The article says the episode underscores Pakistan’s wider instability, with militancy, civil-military tensions and regional security concerns all adding to the risk that the standoff could deepen, rather than defuse, unrest.