Pakistan's federal government imposed emergency rule and Governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, removing the PTI-led provincial government after protests demanding Imran Khan's release, and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and other PTI leaders were detained. PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari called it a 'coup disguised as emergency.' The report says army chief Asim Munir, now also Chief of Defence Forces, has operational command over the army, navy and air force, greater influence over nuclear command, and a tenure potentially extended into 2030. Security has sharply deteriorated: the Global Terrorism Index 2026 ranks Pakistan as the most terrorism-affected country based on 2025 data, with over 1,000 incidents and 1,100 deaths, and one research centre reported an 83% quarter-on-quarter rise in fatalities in Q3 2026. An IMF staff-level agreement in early October 2026 paved the way for about $1.2 billion in disbursements, subject to board approval, but growth is projected at 3.5–3.6% and inflation near 9.9%, leaving recovery fragile.
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