Islamabad, Oct 25 — The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Sunday demanded an end to emergency and governor's rule in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and called for the immediate release of the chief executive and all others arbitrarily detained.
In a statement shared on X, the HRCP said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, being the only province in Pakistan which is led by the opposition, makes the federal government's decision to impose emergency and governor's rule "more troubling" and condemned the detention of the elected chief executive and other elected representatives, terming it a "grave affront to democratic norms."
HRCP's statement comes as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and several cabinet members were detained on October 12 after the provincial government was suspended by the federal government under emergency rule. Afridi, Pakistan's Member of National Assembly Junaid Akbar and assembly speaker Babar Saleem Swati were taken into “preventive custody,” Pakistan-based daily Dawn reported.
"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," the HRCP posted on X.
"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," it added.
The HRCP said that it condemns militancy and terrorism but stressed that counter-terrorism measures must be taken within the law and not become a pretext for collective punishment, using excessive force or the suppression of fundamental rights. The HRCP stated that military operations risk civilian casualties and mass displacement, while force alone has repeatedly remained unable to deliver lasting peace.
"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," the HRCP posted on X.
The HRCP also criticised Pakistan's federal government for initial internet and mobile shutdowns, stressing that these disruptions restrict access to information and undermine education, communication and livelihoods. It stated that curfews and military deployments in North and South Waziristan, Bannu and Miranshah continue to disrupt civilian life.
The rights group voiced concern over reports of police raids on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf — workers in Khyber, Peshawar and Swat. It demanded 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. It urged the Pakistan government and PTI to resume political dialogue to address militancy, protect fundamental rights and secure local ownership of resources.
"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," the HRCP mentioned in a statement on X.
"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 governing by emergency rather than consensus could irretrievably weaken Pakistan's democracy," it added.