Afridi | Pakistan

Govt rebukes CM Afridi for evidence remark

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Monday that the Sindh government had not upheld the honour of the ajrak and topi and criticised its treatment of its “guests”. The chief minister is currently on a visit to Karachi, where he staged a rally at the Mazar-i-Quaid on Sunday. In an address to the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) in Karachi on Monday, Afridi thanked all the SHCBA members for their warm welcome and generous hospitality, adding that people from all over Pakistan — including Pashtuns, Kashmiris, Balochis — of every school of thought were present there. In contrast to this welcome from the public, however, he decried the provincial government’s treatment of him and his guests in Karachi, saying that they had “desecrated” the honour of the Sindhi ajrak and topi. “I think every Sindhi will fully condemn this,” he said amid an outcry of support from the crowd. The KP CM also criticised the fact that the constitution and law were being “toyed with,” saying that it was not on...

• Punjab forensic report calls videos genuine, profile photos matched • PTI leaders say clips unrelated to case; Azma terms evidence ‘irrefutable’ PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has found himself in the centre of a legal controversy after a forensic report, submitted by the prosecution to the anti-terrorism court in the Radio Pakistan attack case, identified him as one of the suspects seen in the purported video clips of the incident. The report prepared by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) is based on the footage of the ransacking of the Radio Pakistan office in Peshawar after the arrest of ex-prime minister Imran Khan in May 2023. Last month, the court ordered that the clips be sent for examination and a report be submitted. At the time, the defence had not questioned the relevance or the legitimacy of the footage. The authorities had provided the video clips and the pictures of CM Afridi, former provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Kamran Bangash, and two other P...

KARACHI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday briefly addressed hundreds gathered near Mazar-i-Quaid for the party’s rally, while the PTI claimed it faced hurdles in reaching the venue and its supporters were met with shelling by the police. The Sindh government had permitted the PTI to hold a rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah. However, the PTI, citing a delay in receiving the permit, announced a change in venue, saying it would stage the gathering at one of the gates of Mazar-i-Quaid. During the day, PTI supporters gathered at Bagh-i-Jinnah, where the police employed shelling. Disturbances were also reported near Numaish Chowrangi as police dispersed crowds, while media vehicles were also vandalised. “I am deeply grateful to all Pakistanis and the people of Sindh for honouring us with enormous respect and esteem,” CM Afridi said while addressing a huge crowd near Mazar-i-Quaid late on Sunday night. “We can never forget the respect we received from the people of Sindh. But you all must not forgive t...

Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah on Sunday tendered an apology to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for any “unpleasant incident” that he may have faced during his ongoing visit to Sindh. His statements came after the PTI claimed its convoy was facing hurdles while on its way to Mazar-i-Quaid for a rally, and CM Afridi said he had to use risky routes on his way to Karachi from Hyderabad. “I personally apologise if something [unpleasant] happened somewhere, as this should not happen,” Shah said during Geo News’ programme ‘Naya Pakistan’. ’’He is the chief minister of a province and whatever we did, the welcome and all, was in respect of the people of KP as he had their mandate,“ the PPP leader added. Asked about the apparent change in the Sindh government’s attitude, Shah highlighted that the guests were “welcomed and taken care of”. He noted that the PTI sought permission to hold a rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah from the Sindh government “even though it falls under the federal governme...

HYDERABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday evening rejected allegations of a ‘political-terror nexus’ in KP as he addressed journalists at the Hyderabad Press Club (HPC). The KP CM reached Hyderabad earlier today for a day-long trip to mobilise the public for a nationwide street movement. Speaking at a ‘meet the press’ event, Afridi complained that KP was being meted out “stepmotherly treatment” by institutions that were supposed to strengthen democracy in the country and claimed that the PTI government was “toppled as a result of a London plan”. Afridi said a 15-point agenda was presented before Pakistan and “everyone agreed” that a military operation was not the solution to any problem. “The actual problem is that decisions are always taken in closed rooms,” he said. Afridi further added that if a military operation were launched in KP, the provincial government would be obliged to stand with its people. “I have asked my administration to facilitate all those people, whether they...

Prime Minister‘s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is engaging in “illegal activity and travel” by trying to mobilise the party’s support base for a nationwide street movement. The KP chief executive is currently in Karachi as part of the PTI’s plans to launch a street movement, as per the directions of party founder Imran Khan. Speaking on the Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath’, the PM’s aide said that the PTI was in no position to launch a street movement and described their upcoming nationwide wheel-jam strike on February 8 as “violence”. “They cannot mobilise because it isn’t in accordance with the law. The KP CM is involved in illegal activity and his travel is illegal,” Sanaullah said. When asked what part of CM Afridi’s visit was illegal, Sanaullah replied: “How is a wheel-jam strike a political activity permitted by the law and Constitution? Holding a wheel-jam strike in and of itself is illegal.” Sanaullah a...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday clarified that his “only stance” was to implement PTI founder Imran Khan’s directives to run his province and prepare for the party’s street movement. Afridi had previously announced that Karachi was his next destination for galvanising party supporters after he concluded his three-day visit to Lahore, where he also met with the families of jailed senior PTI leaders. In a post on social media platform X earlier today, the KP chief minister said, “I have only one stance. My leader (Imran) has directed me to prepare for a street movement, along with running the administrative affairs of my province. “God-willing, I will implement them in letter and spirit. Any other news attributed to me would be someone’s personal assumption,” he added. About his upcoming visit to Karachi, CM Afridi said Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, “respecting democratic values and his office’s dignity”, has invited him for a meeting. Afridi said he had thanked Murad for the in...

PESHAWAR: After the conclusion of a tour of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi will visit Sindh and Balochistan as part of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s street movement, said his special assistant for information Shafi Jan on Monday. In a media briefing after a cabinet meeting here, Mr Jan said that the PTI delegation comprising provincial ministers and members of the assembly and led by CM Afridi, which just concluded a visit to Punjab province to launch a street movement, achieved its objectives as restrictions prevented people from freely moving with PTI flags on Lahore roads. He said the love of Punjab residents for the PTI was evident from the warm welcome accorded to the delegation on arrival in Lahore. The chief minister’s aide regretted that the chief minister was denied permission to visit the houses of some PTI workers in the cantonment area. CM tells cabinet that funding denial by Centre has badly hit uplift projects in tribal districts He wondered if a chief minister’s entry ...

• KP CM says dialogue without ‘resistance’ not effective; Karachi his ‘next destination’ • Believes talks can be meaningful if ‘power-wielding individuals’ participate • Azma claims ‘street movement’ failed to attract public, dubs it ‘social media hype’ LAHORE: After spending three days in the provincial capital galvanising party supporters, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Min­ister Sohail Afridi said the PTI would not engage in talks with the government without first taking to the streets to demonstrate its opposition to the status quo. His remarks come as party leaders are split into two camps: one led by veterans favouring dialogue, while the other is bent on street agitation as per the directions of the incarcerated founder, Imran Khan. A day earlier, CM Afridi said the decision to initiate talks rested with the opposition alliance, and that he was in charge of the ‘street movement’. CM Afridi, along with other provincial ministers and members of the assembly, had arrived in Lahore to launch a new street movemen...

LAHORE: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi cast doubt on the government’s sincerity in holding talks with the PTI and said he was actively making efforts to initiate the party’s street movement by reaching out to multiple stakeholders. Accompanied by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and other leaders on the second day of his three-day visit to Lahore, the KP chief minister spoke to the media on two occasions while visiting the residences of incarcerated party leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, and Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed. Answering a question about the prospects of dialogue with the government in the wake of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer, the KP chief minister said: “Incumbent rulers are showing no sign of dialogue and instead are displaying their dictatorship mindset, which was inculcated in their minds since they began politics.” Asked whether he believed issues with the federal government could be resolved through talks, CM Afridi said Imran Khan had a...

LAHORE: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who arrived in Lahore earlier today with PTI leaders and workers, led a rally at Liberty Chowk in the provincial capital. Afridi arrived in Lahore to spearhead PTI‘s plans to launch a street movement and to meet the party’s local leadership. As of 11:43pm, PTI workers and supporters were participating in the rally, with the KP CM joining them in sloganeering. The PTI posted a video showing CM Afridi amid a crowd of supporters raising his fist and chanting slogans. At 10:18pm, the PTI’s Lahore chapter posted a video on X showing CM Afridi leaning out of a car and sloganeering, while supporters showered his vehicle with flowers. KP Minister for Higher Education and Local Government Meena Khan Afridi could also be seen chanting slogans. Another video posted at 10:37 showed the KP CM mingling with crowds of supporters chanting slogans. PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan and Noreen Khan Niazi are also present at Liberty Chowk. PTI Secretary Genera...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi asked PTI supporters on Sunday to “be ready” in case a call was made for a protest, adding that “we will together seize [our] Haqiqi Azadi (true freedom)” from the country’s current rulers. Afridi’s intimation came during a PTI rally in Kohat, where he reminded the crowd that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, had delivered the message from jail of “freedom or death”. “So if we go this time around, we will either return in shrouds or after getting freedom,” he said, adding that Imran had given the responsibility of making decisions — be it about talks with the government or protests — to Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.* The two leaders are part of the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) along with the PTI, which has also nominated them as the opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate. “For my part,” Afridi said, “I met them and assured...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday said that the PTI’s provincial government would participate in the National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting on December 4 and “fight the case for our province and its people” in the best possible manner. The 11th NFC was constituted on Aug 22 to finalise a new award for sharing federal divisible resources between the Centre and the provinces. The first meeting was originally scheduled for Aug 27, then delayed to Aug 29 for unspecified reasons. This, too, was postponed on the request of the Sindh government due to flood-related engagements. The session was later rescheduled for Nov 17, then Nov 18, and again deferred at the desire of the Prime Minister’s Office. Earlier this week, CM Afridi said that the federal government still owed Rs1.3 trillion under the NFC framework to the province. Addressing a press conference in Peshawar today, the CM said that the erstwhile tribal areas were merged with KP administratively in 2018, but they were yet to be fin...

After being denied a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan for the eighth time, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi staged a sit-in at Factory Naka, near Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Thursday. CM Afridi was also denied a meeting with Imran at the jail last Friday. Speaking to reporters, he stated that it was unfortunate that, despite having orders from the Islamabad High Court (IHC), he was not permitted to meet the patron-in-chief of his party. He added that he wrote to the chief justice but received no response regarding the issue. The CM and party supporters originally intended to march to the prison, where Imran is incarcerated, but were stopped by a heavy contingent of police personnel at Factory Naka. The CM offered prayers at the sit-in, which were led by Punjab lawmaker Hafiz Farhat Abbas. Speaking to reporters earlier today, Afridi said that police had stopped him this afternoon at Factory Naka, near the jail. This is the same area where the party staged a sit-in after being denied a meeting...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, in a letter to his counterpart in Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, has raised concerns over the alleged manhandling of PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters by police and the obstruction of the incarcerated ex-premier’s visitation rights. The development comes after Afridi on Thursday was denied access to meet Imran for a seventh time. Further, two days ago police had allegedly manhandled and “violently detained” Imran’s sisters from outside Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, where they were camped out after being denied a weekly meeting with him. The letter, which was shared by the PTI on social media platform X early on Friday, said that Afridi wished to draw Maryam’s attention to “serious concerns” regarding the “administration of court-mandated visitation rights” of Imran and the recent treatment of his family members. “Clear and binding judicial directions govern Imran’s visitation schedule. These orders explicitly permit his close family members and nominated individuals to meet...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday took notice of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s “irresponsible” comments regarding the upcoming by-election for NA-18 in Haripur. Addressing a public gathering in Abbottabad’s Havelian yesterday, Afridi had issued a stern warning to those attempting to manipulate or change the result of the by-election scheduled for November 23 (Sunday). In a press release, the ECP said it had taken notice of the KP CM’s remarks, wherein he “threatened the district administration, police and staff deployed for the election, and incited the public present at the rally and the people in general”. “Not only has the provincial chief executive’s irresponsible behaviour made holding a peaceful by-election in NA-18 Haripur difficult, it has also put the lives of the district administration, police, staff posted on election duties, and the voters in danger.” The electoral watchdog has issued notices to CM Afridi and Shehrnaz Omar Ayub — PTI leader Omar Ayub’s wife...

A case was registered against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Islamabad over his “profane” and “misleading” remarks about state institutions. Afridi had made the remarks referred to in the FIR on Nov 6 during an interaction with the media outside Adiala jail after he was once again denied an audience with PTI founder Imran Khan. He had alleged that security forces in KP would bring dogs into mosques and tie them down there, thereby violating the sanctity of holy places. His statement sparked an outcry, drawing condemnations. Subsequently, a first information report (FIR) was registered against him today on behalf of the state and under Sections 11, 20 and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn, stated that following an inquiry dated November 8, it transpired that Afridi and others had “knowingly and deliberately, with mala fide intentions and ulterior motives,...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday condemned remarks by the province’s Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, “disparaging the security forces and assailing counter-terrorism operations in KP.” Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail a day prior, the CM alleged that security forces in KP would bring dogs into mosques and tie them down there, thereby violating the sanctity of holy places. “When we would go and tell them that they are violating the sanctity of the mosque, they would tell us ‘you and these dogs are no different’,” CM Afridi said. “Despite this, we still support them … but do they know the pain of my people?” Taking to X and posting a video of the CM’s remarks, Kundi wrote that he condemned any rhetoric that undermined the “honour and sacrifice” of the armed forces. “The brave sons of our soil lay down their lives to protect our province — questioning their intent in sensational terms only damages morale and public safety,” he wrote. Kundi affirmed the importance of intelligence-b...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Thursday that he was unable to meet the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) earlier today and was denied permission to meet PTI founder and ex-premier Imran Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Afridi has been seeking a meeting with the former premier, who is incarcerated at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, since he was sworn in as the KP CM on October 15. He has been denied access to the PTI founder at least four times since then, despite the IHC’s directives to implement its March order that reinstated a twice-a-week meeting schedule for Imran. Addressing reporters outside the prison, CM Afridi lamented that he was unable to meet the party founder and the chief justice of the IHC, the latter of whom he had waited 90 minutes to meet before leaving empty-handed. “As you all know, there have been continuous efforts through constitutional and legal means; this is the fifth time,” he said, referring to how frequently he was denied a meeting with the PTI f...