Pakistani authorities have arrested hundreds of members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party following the imposition of emergency rule in the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to police officials. Since the emergency declaration on Sunday, 278 PTI members have been detained in the province, officials told news agencies on condition of anonymity.

The emergency measures were implemented amid escalating anti-government protests by supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 on charges including corruption and inciting violence. The province, governed by Khan’s party, has seen days of demonstrations demanding his release, compounded by increasing militant activity along the border with Afghanistan.

In a move signaling heightened tensions, the province’s chief minister, Sohail Afridi, was reportedly detained shortly after the announcement of emergency rule. An administrative official confirmed Afridi was initially placed under “protective custody” at his official residence before being transferred to an undisclosed location.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a stronghold for PTI, and the federal government indicated that the PTI-led provincial administration would cease normal operations until the security situation stabilizes. Islamabad has justified the emergency rule by accusing the provincial PTI government of inadequately addressing militant threats, which it says has necessitated direct federal intervention.

The PTI has condemned the federal government’s actions as undemocratic and an attempt to consolidate power. Khan and his legal team maintain that the charges against him are politically motivated and deny any wrongdoing. The latest crackdown reflects ongoing political turmoil in Pakistan, where divisions between the federal government and PTI supporters continue to fuel instability.