UPDATE: It appears that the PTI did march into Islamabad yesterday. They began their march some days ago from KPK and reached Islamabad yesterday.
About two weeks ago the PTI party (Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf) threatened to march to the capital Islamabad on October 4th, to demand the release from prison of Imran Khan. The government of Field Marshall Asim Muneer promptly ordered a blockade of major cities like Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi (using containers to close roads).
Then the PTI pulled a sneaky. They postponed their march. They said they will pick a another date. So until today 12th October the roads remain closed in Islamabad, Karachi but there is no march. The PTI have made the Asim Muneer government look really silly.
So in retaliation (this is my own reading) the government of Field Marshall Asim Muneer has decided to put Khyber Pakhtunhwa or KPK - which is the home turf of the PTI - under martial law and lockdown. Sohail Afridi the Chief Minister of KPK who declared himself a 'Soldier of Imran Khan' has been arrested. Here is some news:
- ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: federal govt took control of KPK Sun 11 Oct 2026
- after imposing Emergency and governor's rule in KPK province
- deploying army to assist civil administration
- roadblocks sealed key areas of Peshawar
- public transport suspended
- educational institutions ordered closed
- matriculation examinations postponed
- police arrested dozens of PTI workers
- chief minister Sohail Afridi also detained
- imposed emergency under Article 232 of Constitution
- citing escalating terrorist attacks
- threats to citizens' lives and property
- attacks on govt installations, infrastructure, law-enforcement personnel
- declared provincial govt not able to function
- empowered federal govt to assume provincial govt functions
- chief minister, provincial ministers cease to hold office with immediate effect
Schools are closed indefinitely and even the matriculation exams are postponed !! Students in KPK who were hoping to qualify for university entrance this year in Pakistan and overseas will have to postpone their plans until dont know when. Basically Field Marshall Asim Muneer is telling the PTI, Sohail Afridi and the Imran Khan supporters 'you create chaos in Islamabad, I will create chaos in KPK and Peshawar'. I believe the stalemate will be broken if the PTI cancels all its plans to march to Islamabad.
Here are some pictures:
Meanwhile yesterday 11th Oct 2026, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile into King Khaled International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 12 people were killed, 309 people were injured, some critically.
The Pakistan Air Force has sent a couple of squadrons of fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to help them bomb the Houthis (who are Iranian proxies). In retaliation Yemen has declared war on Pakistan. Pakistani soldiers are also on the ground in Yemen. The Houthis have announced that they have captured 47 of the Pakistani soldiers.
Pakistan has also been bombing Kabul and Afghanistan. The latest news says that Iran has begun supplying weapons and aid to its neighbour Afghanistan (to the Taliban). As the stomach churns.
Look at this map closely:
