RAWALPINDI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi staged a sit-in on Adiala Road at the Gorakhpur checkpost today, demanding a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, ARY News reported.
Police deployed in heavy numbers prevented Afridi from proceeding toward the jail, while the sit-in caused severe traffic congestion on the road. Sohail Afridi said this was his eighth visit to Adiala in an attempt to meet PTI founder Imran Khan, vowing that the protest would not end until the meeting takes place.
Sohail Afridi also expressed concern over the rumors surrounding the health of PTI founder Imran Khan.
During interactions with police officials, Sohail Afridi asserted that he is the elected Chief Minister representing over 4.5 million people, calling the authorities’ actions illegal and claiming they were escalating tensions unnecessarily.
He said that all legal and democratic channels had been pursued but the government lacked the mandate to act against the PTI leadership.
Sohail Afridi criticized the government for hindering meetings with Imran Khan and his family, highlighting that previous negotiations were conducted under the founder’s direction but without the authorities’ authorization.
He drew attention to the low voter turnout in recent by-elections, claiming 95 percent of voters did not participate, and argued that the public boycott showed solidarity with the PTI founder.
He also raised concerns over corruption and mismanagement, urging the media to focus on alleged losses of PKR 5,300 billion, which he said were taken from taxpayers without accountability. Afridi further highlighted skyrocketing unemployment, claiming that many young Pakistanis are leaving the country.
On the administrative front, Afridi criticized the federal government for postponing the NFC (National Finance Commission) meetings four times and emphasized that he would fight for his province’s rights in the upcoming sessions.
The Chief Minister warned that, with democratic and legal channels exhausted, PTI was considering its final course of action, while reiterating that no discussion could occur with authorities lacking the proper mandate.