Afridi | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Mini­ster Sohail Afridi said on Thursday that he would not visit Adiala jail again before Sept 27 unless the government officially confirmed a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan. He also called for the closure of important government offices, including the Prime Minister’s Off­ice, alleging that they had become dysfunctional. Speaking to the media outside Adiala jail, the KP chief minister said the situation at the prison indicated that the authorities had no intention of allowing him to meet Imran Khan. “I have come to Adiala for the last time before Sept 27. I will return only when the government itself confirms the meeting,” he said. It is worth mentioning that Afridi’s name was also included in the list of people who intended to meet Imran Khan on Thursday. Afridi warned that if the meeting was not allowed, PTI workers would block roads across the country from 10pm on Thursday as part of the party’s “D-Chowk” protest. He urged party workers to prepare to take to the st...

• PTI holds protests, rallies countrywide to mark third anniversary of Imran Khan’s arrest • Party claims one MNA, four MPAs, several workers arrested in Lahore • Police use teargas, baton-charge Karachi protesters; 10 workers detained PESHAWAR / LAHORE / KARACHI / ISLAMABAD: The opposition PTI marked the third anniversary of party founder Imran Khan’s arrest on Wednesday with protests and rallies across the country, as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi warned of a march on Islama­bad next month, while police action and arrests were repor­ted from Lahore and Karachi. In a fiery speech at a large rally organised to mark three years of Imran Khan’s imprisonment, CM Afridi warned that the PTI would march towards Islamabad on Sept 27 if the cases of Mr Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were not heard on merit and restrictions on their meetings with lawyers, family members and political leaders were not lifted. A large number of people from across the province atten­ded the gathering, which was also ad...

• Incarcerated former senator Ejaz Chaudhry moves SC against high court’s refusal to suspend his sentence • Aleema questions allegations against Imran’s sisters over campaigning for his release ISLAMABAD: A court in the capital issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday, after he repeatedly failed to appear despite being summoned several times in a case relating to alleged misleading statements and defamation of state institutions. While issuing the order, Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah noted that the KP chief minister neither appeared in person, nor was he represented by counsel, despite being granted repeated opportunities. Expressing displeasure over the accused’s continued absence, the judge observed that the court’s summons had not been complied with, and warned that if CM Afridi failed to appear on the next date of hearing, proceedings would be initiated to declare him a proclaimed offender under the relevant provisions of law. The judge directed th...

PESHAWAR: As the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly on Wednesday passed an Rs2.17 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 (FY27), bulldozing the cut motions and approving grants of all the departments, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the coming fiscal year will be one of peace, prosperity and development for the province. The FY27 budget for KP was presented on June 20, with CM Afridi saying that the provincial government would not give any grants to the federal government, and that any decision on providing additional funds to the Centre would be made by PTI founder Imran Khan. “We cannot develop unless there is peace, and this is why we have enhanced the budget for police to Rs40 billion in order to equip them, develop infrastructure, enhance capacity and remove all shortcomings,” the chief minister said today while addressing lawmakers in the KP Assembly. The chief minister, during the session chaired by KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, stated that Peshawar, which was the provincial capital and ...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan on Tuesday dismissed reports of PTI MPAs forming a group against KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, terming them “fabricated and baseless”. The statement comes in response to media reports claiming that around 50 PTI MPAs had formed a group against CM Afridi over dissatisfaction with his performance. It was also reported that the division may impact the passage of the upcoming provincial budget, due to which CM Afridi had met with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for his “support”. In a statement posted to his X account, Jan said that the reports of assembly members forming a group against CM Afridi were “false, fabricated, and baseless,” warning that “those who dream of sowing division among party assembly members have failed”. Jan clarified that all members of the KP Assembly remained “united under the leadership of CM Afridi and were determined to serve people”. He said that “organised and baseless propaganda” had been carried out...

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan on Wednesday claimed that shots were fired at sit-in participants on Tuesday night, injuring several people. On Tuesday, a caravan led by CM Afridi, which was on its way to Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail to meet Imran, was stopped from entering Islamabad, prompting the participants to stage a sit-in at the intersection of Srinagar Highway and G.T. Road — loca­lly referred to as Chungi No. 26. Addressing a press conference, Afridi claimed that shots were fired on Tuesday to disperse them. He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was supplying gas to the entire country, but in return, bullets were being fired at parliamentarians and wheat supplies to the province had been blocked. During the press conference, they also showed a video in which shots were allegedly fired at different participants in the sit-in. They also asked whether the state has any example in which the sisters of former prime ministers have faced the treatment bei...

ISLAMABAD: Capital police on Tuesday stopped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi from reaching Adiala jail in Rawalpindi to meet incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan. Imran — imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023, for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts — is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) allowed the ex-premier to have twice-a-week meetings — on Tuesdays and Thursdays — with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite the order, the former premier has been restricted from meeting visitors for several months. Afridi set off for the Rawalpindi jail earlier today. He was accompanied by Imran’s sisters and a number of PTI workers and leaders. However, police stopped the delegation at Islamabad’s Chungi No. 26 from proceeding towards Adiala Jail, despite heated arguments. Police personnel form a line to stop PTI workers and leaders from proceeding towards the prison. — Mohamma...

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday sought Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s intervention on an ongoing CNG crisis in his province, warning that the shortage was setting the stage for “widespread agitiation” across KP. The province has been affected by a compressed natural gas (CNG) crisis since April with several filling stations shut and millions of citizens struggling for affordable fuel. The situation has also negatively impacted the economic activity in the province. KP CM Afridi drew PM Shehbaz’s attention to the matter in letter on Monday. The letter stated: “I wish to draw your kind attention to the recent decision of the Petroleum Division regarding the curtailment of gas supply to the CNG sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reportedly due to liquified natural gas (LNG) supply disruptions and system constraints faced by the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL). “While we fully appreciate that SNGPL is operating under a constrained supply environment and must manage line p...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi called on the Centre to address his province’s issues, asserting that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “should take interest” in the matter. At the same time, he also said he had conveyed to KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to focus on the “province’s governance rather than Adiala” — a reference to the PTI’s efforts and frequent protests outside the jail in Rawalpindi for party founder Imran Khan’s release. Kundi made these remarks while speaking to the media in Islamabad after he met KP CM Afridi at the Governor House in Peshawar earlier in the day. Speaking to the media, he warned that the “people of KP have reached a point where if they take to the streets tomorrow, nobody could be held responsible for it”. Kundi urged the federal government to address KP’s issues, including the suspension of CNG supply and restrictions on wheat movement. “If Punjab has issues with supplying wheat to KP, then allow us passage to ensure supply from Sindh,” Kundi said, claiming that...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday decried decisions taken behind closed doors, saying that the provincial government would oppose those decisions that went against peace in the province and the people’s interests. He made the remarks during a visit to Bannu, after 15 police personnel were martyred and three sustained injuries after a suicide attack on the Fateh Khel police post. According to a statement issued by the CM House, Afridi met the families of the martyred police personnel and also offered Fateha. The statement said that he also visited the hospital to inquire about the health of the injured personnel and directed officials to provide them with the best possible healthcare facilities. The statement quoted Afridi as saying that the KP police had shown bravery and courage against terrorism. He said that the people of the province had to stand up for their rights, otherwise the “imposed circumstances” would continue to prevail. “We have been continuously saying that terrorists a...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday announced a province-wide pen-down strike tomorrow (May 6) over the federal government’s alleged “discrimination” against KP. In a statement, CM Afridi contended that the Centre was discriminating against KP because the province has a government led by former premier Imran Khan’s PTI. “The federal government is deliberately discriminating against the province in the NFC (National Finance Commission) Award, electricity and gas,” the chief minister claimed. Since becoming the provincial chief executive in October 2025, Afridi has repeatedly accused the federal government of stalling the release of funds allocated for KP, particularly those committed for the merged districts under the NFC Award. In his announcement, the KP CM said that emergency services would be exempt from the pen-down strike. He urged all lawyers “who uphold the Constitution and the law” to participate in the strike. He also lamented that Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi were not being ...

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi expressed on Friday his intention to protest against drone attacks in his province, saying that these attacks were resulting in “collateral damage”. The CM made these remarks while addressing a provincial cabinet meeting, a day after he hinted at introducing legislation to criminalise collateral damage in such incidents. He said the meeting was called against “persistent drone attacks” and the subsequent collateral damage, which had “become a curse in KP”. The CM condemned these attacks, saying that they were fostering sentiments of “revenge among the people”, as well as resulting in an increase in terrorism, which was harmful for KP and the entire country. On Thursday, Afridi also announced that a jirga would be summoned on Saturday against drone attacks, while the opposition was also told to ensure tribal elders’ presence for deciding the future course of action. Addressing the cabinet meeting, Afridi also termed the loadshedding of gas in KP a viola...

PESHAWAR: Following public outcry from his own constituency over drone attacks, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Thursday hinted at introducing legislation to criminalise collateral damage in such incidents. The development comes after a meeting of lawmakers from the respective districts decided that the issue would be taken up in the provincial assembly, while vowing to put up a joint front to protect civilians. “We held a meeting on bringing a law against drone attacks, but ‘they’ have protected themselves in the Constitution against drone attacks … However, we can legislate against collateral damage,” Afridi said on Thursday without specifying further. He made the remarks while speaking during a session of the KP Assembly summoned to discuss the issue. CM Afridi alleged that whenever he protested against a drone strike, he received a message that “they” understood the situation and were sorry. The chief minister questioned why such incidents never targeted sensitive installations and only...

ISLAMABAD: Amid reports of a rift between the PTI and the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday met with the opposition alliance’s leaders, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. The meeting comes amid reports that the TTAP leaders, who are also the opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate, were not being involved in the decision-making process. It took place at Achakzai’s residence in Islamabad. It was also attended by former NA speaker Asad Qaiser, TTAP leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, and other leaders. In a statement shared on X, the TTAP spokesperson Hussain Ahmed Yousafzai said, “Upon the directives of PTI founder Imran Khan, CM Afridi had an important meeting with Achakzai at his residence.” “During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on the health and medical treatment of former prime minister Imran Khan, concerns regarding his access to justice, restrictions on signing legal documents, the upcoming federal bu...

MARDAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Sunday that he had conveyed a message to incarcerated PTI founder, Imran Khan, stating that he was ready to “be in Islamabad” — ostensibly to hold a power show in the federal capital. “I conveyed to him that I am ready, the nation is ready, Pakistanis are ready … If you give us the go-ahead, we will be in Islamabad the next day,” he told a charged crowd at a public gathering in Mardan. He said Imran had instructed to consult Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan leaders Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mehmood Khan Achakzai as well, and he would be mindful of that. Turning his guns on the incumbent federal government, he said they had been unable to make Imran bow under the pressure of “baseless and fabricated cases”, filed against him and his spouse, Bushra Bibi. He accused the government of committing “cruelty and injustice” against Imran, his sisters and Bushra Bibi. Afridi decried that Imran and Bushra Bibi were being deprived of the right to get medi...

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday directed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to respond within 10 days to a petition seeking to prevent the mobilisation or activation of a “release force” for jailed PTI founder Imran Khan. Headed by FCC Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan, a three-judge bench also issued notices to respondents in the petition, namely the KP government, the PTI, the federal government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The proposed force was announced by CM Afridi in February after a days-long protest to secure a meeting with Imran failed to budge the government. It aims to continue the party’s struggle for the release of its founder, who has been imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail since Aug 5, 2023. In the petition filed before the FCC, Advocate Ali Nawaz Kharal has contended that he was filing the plea in the public interest and seeking the court’s intervention to prevent the formation or mobilisation of any private force or militia in viol...

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday assured his “full support” to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for the “resolution of all legitimate issues”, according to the finance ministry. The meeting comes a day after President Asif Ali Zardari chaired a meeting in Islamabad with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the chief ministers of all provinces, including Afridi. His presence was considered significant, as he usually does not attend such meetings due to the political differences of his party, the PTI, with the ruling alliance. In a post on the social media platform X on Tuesday, the finance ministry said that Aurangzeb held a meeting with CM Afridi at the Finance Division “The meeting was held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere. The chief minister apprised the finance minister of various economic and financial issues being faced by the province,” it said. It stated that Aurangzeb assured CM Afridi of “his full support for the resolution of all legitimate issues”, adding that he a...

ISLAMABAD: A local court in Islamabad on Saturday once again reissued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi after he failed to appear before it in a case pertaining to derogatory remarks against state institutions. The case was registered on Nov 9, 2025, by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016, following allegations that the KP CM made false and defamatory claims against state institutions. This is the fourth time the court has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the KP chief minister in this case, with two issued in January and another on February 10. As during a previous hearing, Senior Civil Judge Muhammad Abbas Shah today ordered the immediate arrest and production of CM Afridi, noting that the latter had consistently ignored multiple summons and remained absent without any lawful justification. The court then adjourned the hearing until March 9. During the January 28 hearing, the ...

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court on Tuesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case pertaining to misleading statements against state institutions and damage to their reputation. The case was registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016, following allegations that the chief minister made false and defamatory claims against state institutions. During the hearing on Tuesday, presided over by Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah, the court noted that CM Afridi had once again failed to appear despite being summoned multiple times. Subsequently, the judge ordered his immediate arrest and directed law enforcement authorities to ensure his production before the court. The hearing was then adjourned till February 21. This is not the first time the court has taken action over Afridi’s non-appearance. Last month, the same court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant after observing that th...

Shehbaz Sharif tells Sohail Afridi to intensify efforts to combat terrorism Assures cooperation to improve infrastructure, education, health in KP Afridi says PM took seriously matters he raised during talks Meeting with PM was not political desire but constitutional requirement.