Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi approached the Supreme Court, seeking a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) jailed founder Imran Khan.
In a letter written to Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi, the chief minister maintained that he is “under constitutional and moral obligation” to consult with the PTI founder, who is also the party’s patron-in-chief, at Adiala jail for seeking instructions on the provincial cabinet formation.
CM Afridi, who was recently elected to the top office, maintained that he had already approached the federal interior secretary, as well as the Punjab home secretary, for arranging a meeting with Imran, adding that despite repeated communications and follow-ups, the request was not fulfilled.
Afridi – who replaced Ali Amin Gandapur as the chief minister this week – added that he needs to meet Imran to discuss matters relating to law and order, critical economic challenges, and policy matters regarding the people of the province.
On Thursday, Afridi, who was elected as the provincial chief minister on Monday, was denied a meeting with Imran during a visit to the prison
Separately, Sohail Afridi on Friday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for permission to meet the founder of PTI in jail.
Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Faisal also got his biometrics done in the Islamabad High Court through a special power of attorney.
The petition filed by Syed Ali Bukhari Advocate made the federal and Punjab Interior Secretaries, IG Punjab and Superintendent Adiala parties and took the position that guidance from the founder of PTI is necessary for the provincial cabinet consultation.
The founder of PTI is currently imprisoned in Central Jail Adiala, Rawalpindi. An application has already been made to the Ministry of Interior and the Punjab Home Department for a meeting. It is mandatory to seek guidance from the founder on sensitive issues of cabinet formation and governance. Consultation with the Patron-in-Chief is legally and morally necessary.
The petition requested that the court allow an immediate meeting with the founder of PTI and allow periodic meetings with the founding chairman of PTI in the future as well.