Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was denied permission to meet jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Tuesday, as the formation of the provincial cabinet continues to face delays.
The KP chief minister arrived outside the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi alongside PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.
However, CM Afridi returned without a meeting with the PTI founder, while Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, was allowed to meet the former premier.
Speaking to journalists outside the jail, Afridi said that he should be allowed to meet the PTI founder to receive “policy guidelines”, emphasising that questions should be raised about why such a meeting is being obstructed.
He noted that he was the PTI founder’s “nominated and appointed chief minister” and therefore needed to consult him on provincial matters.
Afridi criticised the federal government for “governing through force rather than upholding the Constitution and rule of law,” adding that the obstruction of his meeting with the PTI founder could lead to a contempt of court case.
The chief minister said that while he received congratulatory calls from the Sindh chief minister and governor, as well as the Balochistan chief minister, Punjab’s leadership had yet to do so.
“Instead of congratulations, Punjab has cut off our wheat supply, creating a flour crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he claimed.
Afridi said that he had also been congratulated by several political figures and that the corps commander had personally visited him to convey congratulations.
Responding to a question about a mega corruption scandal, the KP chief minister said he would comment on it once his cabinet was formed.
It was the third time since his October 13 election as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister that Afridi had been denied a meeting with the jailed PTI founder.
Afridi replaced firebrand PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur as the chief minister after securing 90 votes during a session boycotted by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and Pakistan Peoples Party.
Soon after taking office, CM Afridi announced plans to meet Khan to discuss policy guidelines and the formation of his cabinet.
PTI leaders – including Afridi – then approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to ensure his meeting with the PTI founder for the same.
While the IHC directed prison authorities to allow such meetings, CM Afridi was unable to meet Khan when he arrived outside the Adiala jail on October 23.
Following the denial, he staged a short sit-in outside the prison, demanding the implementation of the court’s directives, though without success.
It is worth mentioning here that Khan has been behind bars since August 2023 following his conviction in in the Toshakhana case-I – one of the multiple cases registered against him since his ouster from power via a no-confidence vote in April 2022.
The PTI founder is facing a plethora of cases, ranging from corruption to terrorism.