ANI reported from Islamabad on Monday, 12 October, that Kasim Khan, a son of former prime minister Imran Khan, condemned the federal government's imposition of a state of emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Tribune published the ANI dispatch.
What he wrote
ANI said the remarks were in a post on X. It quoted him accusing Army Chief Asim Munir of invoking "terrorism to justify another military operation in Pashtun lands," and asserting that "Pakistan belongs to its people, not its military."
ANI quoted this passage: "Now, as Pakistanis have taken to the streets to protest my father's release, Asim Munir's regime imposes emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (my father's political stronghold). Having failed to secure Balochistan or Azad Kashmir, Munir once again invokes terrorism to justify another military operation in Pashtun lands. Yet again sacrificing lives in an attempt to cling on to power."
ANI said he demanded that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's democratic mandate be restored, and that his father, detained family members, PTI representatives and all political prisoners be released immediately. It said he added that the people's right to protest must be respected. These lines are his post, as relayed by ANI. They are not a court finding or a government statement.
What ANI said about the order
ANI reported that the emergency was authorised under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution after the president approved recommendations from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's cabinet. It said Islamabad accused the PTI-led provincial government of "deliberate indifference in the war against terrorism," and pointed to negotiations that collapsed on 3 October.
ANI also reported a claim by KP information minister Shafi Jan that Sohail Afridi, who was leading a march demanding Imran Khan's release, was taken into custody shortly after the decree. Separate police accounts already reported by Dawn describe preventive custody, and no criminal charge has been named.
ANI said Dr Muhammad Fakhr Alam Irfan was installed as chief secretary. It said telecom sources reported that mobile and data services were throttled or shut in parts of Peshawar, with police and shipping containers on key routes. The dispatch does not carry a reply from the military.
