Peshawar, October 12,2026: Suspended Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and several members of his cabinet have been taken into preventive custody, government and police officials confirmed on Monday.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had reported their detention on Sunday, shortly after the federal government imposed an emergency and governor’s rule in the province under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry confirmed the detentions to Reuters on Monday, saying Afridi and some of his cabinet members had been taken into preventive custody on Sunday.
He said those against whom cases were pending would be charged and tried, while the others would be released.
A senior police official also confirmed to Dawn that eight people, including Afridi, PTI MNA Junaid Akbar and provincial assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, had been taken into preventive custody.
On Sunday, PTI members said they were unaware of Afridi’s whereabouts. Sources had reported that the chief minister and Akbar were under house arrest under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
Reacting to the developments, PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said Afridi’s arrest could not be viewed separately from the federal government’s decision to impose emergency and governor’s rule in the province.
He alleged that the detentions exposed the political motives behind the federal government’s actions, arguing that the measures were aimed at weakening the PTI and undermining the elected provincial government rather than addressing security challenges.
The emergency was imposed amid escalating tensions between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led federal government and the PTI-led provincial administration. The two sides have been at odds over several issues, particularly counterterrorism policy, which both have cited among the reasons for the breakdown of talks on October 3.
The imposition of governor’s rule also coincided with the PTI’s long march towards Islamabad, led by Afridi, which had remained confined to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Although the party has vowed to continue its planned protest, provincial police have been directed to prevent the move.
In Peshawar, shipping containers were placed at several locations to block roads, while a heavy police presence was maintained. Residents also experienced internet disruptions and mobile service suspensions a day earlier.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has assumed responsibility for running the province on behalf of the federal government. An 11-member technocratic KP Advisory Council has been established to assist him.
Chairing the council’s first meeting, Kundi said tackling terrorism and taking effective security measures would be his administration’s top priority.
In addition to imposing emergency and governor’s rule, the federal government has authorized the deployment of Pakistan Army troops and assets in aid of civil power in the province.
