Pakistan’s government has suspended the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and put the province under governor’s rule, TOI reported. Direct control of a province with around 40 million people now sits with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government. Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party loses one of its strongest political bases.
Islamabad says law and order has worsened in province while provincial government failed to act against terrorism. PTI calls the move political. Soon after emergency was announced, reports said chief minister Sohail Afridi and PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar were taken into custody.
