President Asif Ali Zardari's order imposes a state of emergency and replaces the provincial cabinet with a federally appointed governor for six months, citing deteriorated law and order and failure to fight terrorism along the Afghanistan border. The PTI has described the move as "a coup disguised as emergency" and reported that 10 of its lawmakers were abducted by masked men starting Oct 9. To maintain control, Islamabad has deployed military forces and disrupted internet and media services across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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PTI Supporters Clash With Riot Police in Peshawar Following Federal Takeover
World9 days ago
Street battles erupted in the northwestern province's main city on Monday as members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party fought with authorities. The escalation in Peshawar follows a sudden federal intervention on Sunday that stripped the PTI-led government of its powers, prompting widespread protests and violent confrontations as the party's supporters demanded the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
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