Pakistan's federal government announced a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, suspending the provincial administration run by Imran Khan's PTI, which has governed the province for 13 years. Schools were closed, the internet was partially shut down, shipping containers blocked roads in Peshawar and the army moved in. Federal information minister Attah Tarrar told journalists the provincial government had been working with terrorists, but offered no evidence; two days later he had still not provided any, although schools and internet services had been restored across most of the province. The move followed a week of marches by thousands of Khan's supporters demanding the release of the former prime minister, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 on corruption convictions he says are politically motivated. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who led the protests, has not been seen; his party says he was arrested, while the government says he is in protective custody. Three of Khan's sisters have been detained since September, and most PTI leaders in the province have gone into hiding. On Tuesday, dozens of supporters protested in Bara, Afridi's hometown, amid reports of tear gas. Analysts questioned the terrorism rationale. Farzana Sheikh of Chatham House called it disingenuous and suggested the military felt emboldened by its standing with Washington after its role in US-Iran peace talks. Zahid Hussain, an Islamabad-based defence analyst, said power had shifted entirely to the military establishment. Michael Kugelman of the Atlantic Council warned the measure could backfire by deepening discontent. Pakistan, ranked first in the Global Terrorism Index 2026, also faces tensions with Afghanistan and India and has pledged to help defend Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.