Pakistan Army deployed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in aid of civil power

Pakistan Army deployed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in aid of civil power.

Key points

• KhanManzoor Ali Published October 11, 2026 Updated October 11, 2026 11: 33pm.
• Containers near Bala Hisar Fort and outside the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) office on Arbab Road blocked entry towards Mall Road.
• The stretch of Khyber Road connecting to University Road and Airport Road at Aman Chowk was documented to be open but with low traffic.
• Umer Farooq is a Peshawar-based reporter for Dawn with 17 years of experience covering security, governance, and politics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• Manzoor Ali is a Peshawar-based reporter for Dawn with over 15 years of experience covering governance, climate, and the economy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Umer FarooqIsmail KhanIftikhar A. KhanManzoor Ali Published October 11, 2026 Updated October 11, 2026 11: 33pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel.

After imposing an emergency and governor's rule in the province, ISLAMABAD: The federal administration on Sunday authorised the deployment of Pakistan Army troops and assets in aid of civil power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Meanwhile, the authorisation of the army deployment was created through Statutory Regulatory Order, issued by the interior ministry on Sunday.

According to the order, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the federal administration authorised the deployment of army troops and assets in aid of civil power for the "safety of life, security of persons and property of citizens as well as security of government installations" in the province.

In practice, the authorisation lasts for the duration of the proclamation issued regarding the imposition of an emergency and governor's rule. The notification cited powers conferred to the administration under Article 245 of the Constitution.

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, in consultation with the Military Operations Directorate at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, would determine the number of troops and assets necessary, the notification continued.

Copies of the order were forwarded to the president's secretary, prime minister's adviser, the KP governor's secretary, the Military Operations Directorate GHQ Rawalpindi, the KP home secretary, the inspector general of police (IGP) in the province, the Peshawar High Court registrar and other authorities.

Meanwhile, the emergency imposition comes a day after PM Shehbaz met President Zardari and discussed the country's overall security situation.

That session came against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the PML-N-led federal administration and the KP administration led by the PTI – which is in opposition in the Centre. They have been at odds over various problems, particularly on the counterterrorism policy. It was one of the main reasons behind the breakdown of their Oct 3 negotiations.

In practice, the PTI has remarked it was being left out of security decisions concerning KP. It the Centre has denied. It additionally calls for reviewing the counterterrorism policy and opposes military operations.

By contrast, the Centre has been criticising the KP government's efforts to combat terrorism in the province and objects to its stance on dialogue with the Afghan Taliban. Shipping containers block roads.

Shipping containers were placed around the city of Peshawar to block roads after the imposition of the emergency.

Containers were placed near Peshawar's railway station to block the routes towards Khyber Bazaar, Shoba Bazaar and beyond. While residents were turned away from Sher Shah Suri Road as it was documented to be completely closed, they were additionally placed near Edwardes College to block entry to Jail Road and Malik Saad Shaheed Flyover.

Police were reportedly deployed in significant numbers, particularly around Governor House. The deployment included personnel called from other districts.

Police and personnel of law enforcement agencies (LEAs), including plenty of in plainclothes, were seen patrolling the roads leading to Governor House, the central police office, Peshawar police headquarters and other administration installations largely located in the Red Zone, a correspondent documented.

Vehicles with tinted glasses, police mobile vans, armored personnel carriers and other LEA vehicles were reportedly the only transport visible in and around the cantonment area, with life at a standstill and the area appearing deserted.

Another correspondent documented that the road leading to Khyber Road was shuttered by a container and the traffic control gate closed. Plenty of police personnel were additionally seen around Surey Pul, a favoured spot for protesters.

Grand Trunk (GT) Road was blocked by containers at Firdous Chowk and the correspondent documented numerous police personnel in the area. Only pedestrians were allowed to move ahead.

Additionally, containers near Bala Hisar Fort and outside the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) office on Arbab Road blocked entry towards Mall Road.

While tight security was documented on Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum road where they are located, only official vehicles were being allowed to travel from Governor House towards the Chief Minister's House. The Civil Secretariat was seen to be deserted.

While Saddar remains partially open, royal Artillery (RA) Bazaar has been closed.

Additionally, Peshawar's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations were documented to be shuttered by Dawn 's correspondent.

Meanwhile, the stretch of Khyber Road connecting to University Road and Airport Road at Aman Chowk was documented to be open but with low traffic. A sizeable police contingent was seen at Aman Chowk. Meanwhile, University Road was blocked by containers at Tehkal, and containers at Stadium Chowk allowed for only single-file passage of vehicles on both sides.

Earlier, traffic jams were documented due to the closure of Khyber Road. It connects GT Road with the eastern side of University Road and serves as the main artery and choke point. The resulting diversions created pressure on auxiliary roads.

Meanwhile, the area is part of the cantonment, and the Red Zone contains significant installations such as the Corps Commander's House, civil secretariat, central police office, CM Secretariat, CM House and Governor House.

All telecoms services, including landline and DSL, are documented to be suspended in the provincial capital. The city had witnessed a almost 48-hour mobile service blackout just days ago, on account of the presence of the PTI in the city for its long march.

As ATMs remained out of service for the entire day, with networks suspended, individuals faced immense matters in withdrawing funds from bank accounts.

As well as others on the outskirts of the provincial capital, aside from the suspension of cellular network and broadband services, nevertheless, the situation remained normal for those living on Kohat Road, Charsadda Road, GT Road beyond Pir Zakorhi Bridge, and the area bordering the Khyber district. Vehicles of the armed forces were additionally noted to be patrolling cantonment areas and a heavy deployment of police was documented in both the city and its outskirts including Kohat Road, GT Road, University Road and Warsak Road.

Separately, a holiday has been declared for schools, colleges and universities in the district on Monday (Oct 12), according to a notification issued by the deputy commissioner of Peshawar.

"It is hereby notified that all educational institutions, both public and private, including schools, colleges and universities, shall remain closed on October 12, 2026 (Monday) located within the territorial jurisdiction of District Peshawar, " the notification remarked.

On Saturday, KP Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed put district police on alert for feasible violent protests and sabotage in the event of an emergency in the province, emphasising caution in the apply of force.

In practice, a notification issued by the IGP's office directed not only officers in Peshawar but additionally district police officers (DPOs), sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs) and even station house officers (SHOs) to personally monitor the situation.

It remarked DPOs could problem appropriate directions, instructions or guidelines to regulate protests and ensure public safety. In the event of violence, they could additionally take necessary legal action.

It continued that the apply of force was to be carried out on a gradated basis, noting that in the first phase, protesters should be clearly cautioned against violence before police began to apply forceful measures. Governor's rule in KP.

Umer Farooq is a Peshawar-based reporter for Dawn with 17 years of experience covering security, governance, and politics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He can be discovered on X at @Umer_Pasanni.

Ismail Khan is Dawn's Editor (North), based in Peshawar. With 35 years of reporting experience, he covers politics and security problems in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan. He was part of the NYT reporting team that received the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the region.

Iftikhar A. Khan is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn with over three decades of experience in journalism. He covers the parliament, the Election Commission of Pakistan, and the Interior Ministry.

Manzoor Ali is a Peshawar-based reporter for Dawn with over 15 years of experience covering governance, climate, and the economy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He can be discovered on X at @Manzoor.

For now, pakistan Army deployed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in aid of civil power remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.