ISLAMABAD: Newly-elected Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sohail Afridi, stated on Thursday that his party will adopt every constitutional and legal path to meet its leader, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder chairman Imran Khan, and secure his release.
Speaking to the media near the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi after being unable to meet the incarcerated PTI supremo, Afridi said they have consistently followed constitutional and legal channels and will continue to do so.
“Our party is accused of doing protest politics. When we do not get justice from the courts, peaceful protest is our right,” he contended. He claimed the PTI has always protested peacefully and that this option remains open.
The chief minister pointed out that the KP government had written a letter to the federal and Punjab governments on Wednesday informing them of his desire to meet the party founder, but received no response.
He emphasized that Pakistan comes first, adding that while Quaid-i-Azam is the founder of Pakistan, the country itself remains the foremost priority. Afridi noted that steps have been taken to secure the party founder’s release since the day he assumed office.
The chief minister also confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had called to congratulate him. “I thank Mian Shehbaz Sharif and also told him that KP is a province of 45 million people,” he said.
Afridi, who replaced Ali Amin Gandapur after the latter was asked to resign by Imran Khan, stated that he told the prime minister that the public should not be affected by political and personal differences. “I demanded from the prime minister that I be allowed to meet my leader, to which the prime minister said that he will find out and tell me,” he shared.
Regarding the formation of provincial cabinet, Afridi explained, “I will consult with the party founder and will also give my suggestions in this connection.”
Separately, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja stated that the KP chief minister would approach the Supreme Court if not permitted to meet the PTI founder.
Talking to the media at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Raja said the court’s March 25 decision—mandating family visits on Tuesdays and lawyer meetings on Thursdays—has not been implemented since October 2024.
“More than 10 contempt of court petitions have been filed, but not a single one has been heard. The Islamabad High Court does not seem to care whether its decisions are being implemented or not. There is no option left but to go to the Supreme Court,” he noted. “We will keep knocking at the door of this system. One day justice will definitely be given. We are a living nation; we want to achieve freedom from oppression.”
Commenting on the regional situation, Raja remarked that while he would not talk much about the war, the situation was very worrying. “We cannot eliminate terrorists by bombing a single city. We should think about how to bring peace to the region. Peace is possible only if there is an economic agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan. There is no other person except the PTI founder who has the trust of all parties,” he contended.
He concluded by stating that at this time, there is a need for a person who can end the war and restore peace. “We have complaints that terrorism has been happening from Afghanistan. The soil of Afghanistan has become a haven for terrorists,” he said.
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan regretted that despite the court order, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi could not meet the party founder Imran Khan.
While talking to the media in Rawalpindi along with Imran’s sisters Aleema Khan and Naureen Niazi, he said that even today the case of the founder of PTI was delisted, not getting justice after delay is also injustice.
He noted that the sixth case is going on in the jail, as injustice is being done to them, as millions of cases are pending in Pakistan. “We have talked about justice should be given soon. They say that the bail decision of any accused in jail should be taken within two months but our case has not been taken for nine months,” he complained.
Aleema Khan maintained that they want the bail case of the founder of PTI and his wife should to be heard.
