Pakistan has imposed a state of emergency in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, effectively suspending the provincial government led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The measure was invoked on Sunday under two constitutional articles relating to security, following a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
President Asif Ali Zardari said he had approved the cabinet’s recommendations.
A statement from the prime minister’s office said ministers had reviewed the security situation and accused the provincial administration of “deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism”.
The move comes as the PTI prepares a march on the capital, Islamabad, calling for the release of its jailed former leader, Imran Khan.
Khan has been imprisoned for more than three years but continues to command widespread popularity across Pakistan.
