Pakistan’s federal government declared emergency rule across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and authorized military deployment, following pressure from Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Islamabad cited deteriorating law‑and‑order and lack of provincial cooperation on counter‑terrorism, but observers view the move as a bid by the military to seize control of the mineral‑rich province’s administration and economy.
An official said Munir’s push aims to bring the PTI‑governed region under his authority and to exploit its mineral wealth, while KP’s Chief Minister Sohail Afridi denounced army control over mines. Emergency rule empowers Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, a Munir ally, to decide on troop levels and mineral management, raising concerns that revenues will be diverted away from locals and could fuel insurgent attacks.
