Pakistan’s president suspended the government in a province ruled by the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan after declaring a state of emergency on Sunday, his office said, stripping its elected administration of its powers.

The decision comes amid a confrontation between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government and Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which governs northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Khan’s party has been rallying for several days to pressure the government for his release, threatening to march on the capital Islamabad in the coming days.

President Asif Ali Zardari signed Sharif’s advice to declare a state of emergency following a federal cabinet decision, his office said in a statement.

The advice said the provincial government had failed to fight Islamist militancy, according to a statement from Sharif’s office.

The constitution allows the federal government to take over some or all provincial government functions during an emergency, but the president’s office did not specify how the province would be administered.

Zulfikar Bukhari, a close Khan aide and PTI spokesman, called it a “ridiculous decision”, saying Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had the country’s “only legitimately elected government”.

“This will only lead to further bloodshed, instability and collateral damage,” he said, adding that there had always been room for talks but the decision showed negotiations were never the government’s intention.