Rights Body Urges Release of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister
Islamabad, October 25: Pakistan's leading human rights watchdog has demanded an end to emergency rule and governor rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with the release of the province's chief minister and all others detained arbitrarily.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan made the demand on Sunday in a statement posted on X. The commission said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the only province in the country where the opposition holds power. It said the federal government's decision to impose emergency and governor rule there is therefore deeply concerning.
The commission also condemned the detention of the elected chief minister and other public representatives. It described the arrests as a blatant violation of democratic norms.
The statement was issued after the federal government suspended the provincial government under emergency provisions on October 12. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and several cabinet members were then placed in custody. Local media reports said Afridi, National Assembly member Junaid Akbar and Provincial Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati were held in preventive custody.
In its post, the HRCP said it had already warned authorities against imposing emergency and governor rule in the province. It said it was repeating its full opposition to these steps two weeks later. The commission listed its continuing concerns, including the shrinking of democratic space, the deprivation of voting rights for the province's voters, arbitrary and preventive detention, and the disproportionate impact of security measures on ordinary people.
The commission said the detention of elected leaders and political workers, including PTI women activists in Punjab, indicates a wider campaign against political activity.
The HRCP condemned militancy and terrorism but insisted that counterterrorism measures must follow the rule of law. It said they must not become an excuse for collective punishment, excessive force or the suppression of fundamental rights.
It also said military operations pose a continuing risk to civilians and could lead to mass displacement. Efforts to achieve lasting peace through force alone have repeatedly failed, it added.
The commission criticised the federal government's early decision to block internet and mobile services. It said such curbs restrict access to information and adversely affect education, communication and livelihoods.
According to the HRCP, curfews and military deployments in North and South Waziristan, Bannu and Miranshah are still disrupting normal life.
The rights group further voiced concern over reports of police raids on PTI workers in Khyber, Peshawar and Swat. It demanded the immediate release of the chief minister and others held arbitrarily, an end to emergency and governor rule, and the restoration of the provincial assembly.
It also urged the government and PTI to restart political dialogue with civil society involved. According to the HRCP, this would help counter militancy, safeguard fundamental rights and ensure local ownership of resources.
The HRCP said reports of police breaking up gatherings in Peshawar, Swat and Khyber, including a rally of 2,000 to 4,000 people in Bara that was allegedly lathi-charged, require independent confirmation. It said that the absence of full information should not be taken as evidence that no rights violations occurred. Restrictions on peaceful assemblies, it added, must be legal, necessary and proportionate, and the treatment of women in custody should be investigated.
The commission concluded that attempting to rule through emergency powers instead of consensus and democratic processes could cause irreparable harm to Pakistan's democracy.