Why it is in the news
On Sunday 11 October 2026, Pakistan declared an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over a “deteriorating law and order situation”, ending the provincial government led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). On the federal cabinet’s recommendation, President Asif Ali Zardari issued a proclamation under Articles 232(1) and 234(1) of the Constitution, citing rising terrorist attacks and a breakdown of constitutional machinery, and relying on a report by the provincial Governor. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and the advocate general were ordered to vacate office immediately. KP was the only province governed by PTI. The move came during a protest march led by Afridi, which began at Lakki Marwat on 4 October to press for Khan’s release and medical access, after two rounds of talks with the federal government failed; the Centre had said it would not allow the march into Islamabad.
The exam angle
Issue: Does a security emergency justify displacing an elected provincial government in a federation, and what safeguards make such a takeover legitimate?