Rawalpindi-UNS:
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.
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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.
