Press release

HRCP demands end to emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

25 October 2026, Lahore. Earlier, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly cautioned the authorities against imposing an emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Two weeks on, we reiterate our unequivocal opposition to these measures. Our concerns remain the erosion of democratic space, the disenfranchisement of the province’s electorate, arbitrary and preventive detention, and the disproportionate impact of security measures on civilians.

That Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the country’s only opposition-led province makes this intervention particularly troubling. The detention of its elected chief executive is a grave affront to democratic norms, while the arrests of other elected representatives and political workers, including women PTI workers in Punjab, point to a wider crackdown on political activity.

HRCP unequivocally condemns militancy and terrorism. However, counterterrorism measures must remain within the law and must not become a pretext for collective punishment, excessive force or the suppression of fundamental rights. Military operations risk civilian casualties and mass displacement, while force alone has repeatedly failed to deliver lasting peace. Instead, the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must have a meaningful say in their political future and control over their natural resources, including minerals, water and land.

Preventive and unlawful detention must not become a tool for silencing opposition or bypassing judicial safeguards. Detainees must be informed of the grounds for their detention, given access to lawyers and families, and produced before a court within the legally mandated timeframe. The province’s history of opaque internment centres makes these safeguards particularly urgent.

Although mobile and internet connectivity has been restored following initial shutdowns, the full impact remains unclear. Such disruptions restrict access to information and undermine education, communication and livelihoods. Curfews and military deployments in North and South Waziristan, Bannu and Miranshah continue to disrupt civilian life. The authorities must justify these restrictions, disclose information about civilian casualties and ensure adequate assistance for displaced families.

HRCP is also concerned by reports of police raids on PTI workers in Peshawar, Swat and Khyber, and the dispersal of gatherings. In Bara, police reportedly used a lathi charge against a gathering of an estimated 2,000–4,000 people. These reports require further verification, but the absence of complete information must not be mistaken for an absence of violations. Restrictions on peaceful assembly must be lawful, necessary and proportionate, and the treatment of women in detention must be scrutinised.

HRCP demands the immediate release of the chief executive and all others arbitrarily detained, the lifting of emergency and governor’s rule, and the restoration of the provincial assembly. We urge the government and the PTI to resume comprehensive political dialogue, involving civil society, to address militancy, protect fundamental rights and secure local ownership of resources. The state must understand that it governing by emergency rather than consensus could irretrievably weaken Pakistan’s democracy.

Asad Iqbal Butt
Chairperson