ISLAMABAD: Only 16 symbolic protests took place across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the emergency and governor’s rule were imposed on October 11, according to an intelligence report. The KP governor’s rule protests drew fewer than 100 participants on average.
The report points to a clear gap between the confrontational narrative of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the public response on the ground, informed sources said.
Only One Protest Crossed 500 People
The report says the single largest gathering, with more than 500 participants, was held in Bara, Khyber district, on October 13. Bara falls in the constituency of former chief minister Sohail Afridi. Police action broke up the gathering.
Why Turnout Stayed Low, According to the Report
The report links the weak response to public dissatisfaction with the provincial government’s performance, especially on development and security. PTI had been in power in the province for 13 years.
In public perception, it says, terrorism rose sharply while development work was almost absent. Apart from some hardline PTI elements, few people wanted a confrontation with the state.
Divisions Within PTI
Citing background interviews with party workers, the report suggests most PTI lawmakers, at both provincial and national level, favoured settling matters through talks. It adds that some unelected figures allegedly kept backing confrontation to protect their personal interests.
The report also notes that repeated calls for resistance and warnings of widespread unrest, made before federal intervention, did not turn into an effective movement. Reaction stayed limited to small demonstrations.
Security and Governance Concerns
The report describes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a province in continuing security and governance crisis. It cites rising terrorist violence, higher casualties, persistent gaps in the capacity of the police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), and a provincial response it considers inadequate.
According to the report, federal intervention came against this backdrop. Its stated aims are restoring effective governance, re-establishing the writ of the state and protecting citizens.
The report adds that the state would deal firmly, in line with the law, with any violence or illegal resistance against its authority. It concludes that the limited public response to calls for resistance highlights the distance between PTI’s political narrative and ordinary citizens’ willingness to join a confrontation.
