Pakistan detains Khan allies after suspending provincial government

Politicians from former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party have been detained after the federal government suspended a provincial government and imposed emergency rule.

Pakistan’s president declared a state of emergency in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday and suspended its government, which is led by Khan Sohail Afridi.

The federal government says it acted because the provincial administration had failed to tackle attacks by armed groups in the province, which borders Afghanistan.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party rejects that. It says the move was designed to stop his supporters marching to Islamabad to demand his release.

“Yes, I can confirm that the chief minister and some of his cabinet members have been taken into preventive custody,” junior interior minister Talal Chaudhry told Reuters.

He said anyone facing charges would be tried, and the others released.

The detentions took place on Sunday at the chief minister’s house in Peshawar. Witnesses say the area has since been cordoned off with shipping containers and a heavy police and paramilitary presence.

The PTI has condemned the detentions and demanded their release.

Khan’s three sisters and hundreds of his supporters were also detained ahead of the planned march.

Chaudhry said talks between the government and the PTI broke down after the party refused to publicly condemn armed groups.

“We asked for just one thing, that the party should publicly condemn the security threat and join our hands in the fight,” he said.