The arrests follow a security lockdown in Peshawar, where officials sealed the Red Zone with shipping containers and cut electricity and phone connections to Afridi's residence. The PTI alleges that armed, masked men abducted 10 of its lawmakers, including seven provincial assembly members and three members of the National Assembly, beginning Oct 9. The province borders Afghanistan and faces near-daily attacks from the Pakistani Taliban, while Islamabad recently withdrew police protection from local provincial representatives.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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Pakistan Arrests KP Chief Minister After Dissolving PTI Government
World10 days ago
Federal authorities in Pakistan detained Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and provincial president Junaid Akbar Khan on Sunday in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. President Asif Ali Zardari dissolved the province's government and imposed governor's rule and emergency regulations, citing deteriorating security and a failure to cooperate on counter-militancy efforts. The takeover transfers all power to the federal center from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which held a two-thirds majority in the region.
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