Police have detained the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and hundreds of workers from former prime minister Imran Khan's party, as people in Pakistan search in large numbers for KP governor rule. The state minister for interior said the chief minister and some cabinet members were held after Pakistan suspended that provincial government, according to CGTN. Reuters, citing a junior minister, reported on 12 October 2026 that party leaders in the province had been detained. Neither report names the minister.
What officials say was suspended
The CGTN account gives the clearest sequence. The state minister for interior said the chief minister and some of his cabinet were detained after Pakistan suspended the provincial government of Imran Khan's party. Reuters described a junior minister confirming that provincial leaders of the former prime minister's party were in custody. The reports use the titles junior minister and state minister for interior, and neither gives a name.
Police reporting calls it Pakistan's northern province. That is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan's party, had been in government. These reports do not include a list of the PTI leaders arrested, and they do not name the chief minister.
Hundreds held, police say
Police describe a much larger group than the cabinet. Firstpost reported that officers detained hundreds of PTI members and the provincial chief minister, and that this was under emergency rule. CGTN, citing police, said hundreds of people from the former prime minister's party were detained in the northern province.
The ministry account and the police account should be read side by side. One is limited to the chief minister and some cabinet members. The other speaks of hundreds of party members. No report here gives a precise total, a charge, or names.
Why searches have risen
Reuters said "kp governor rule" was trending in Pakistan, with more than 10,000 searches. KP governor rule means the federation has suspended the elected government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the province is administered through the governor. Firstpost described the same period as emergency rule.
In the CGTN account, the state minister spoke of the government being suspended. The reports do not quote any order, and they do not name the governor. Zaviya has explained the order and the constitutional setting in a report on the imposition and an explainer of how the step took effect.
