- CM Afridi says consultation with PTI founder vital for cabinet formation and governance decisions
- Skips PM’s meeting on Afghan repatriation, says attending without PTI founder’s guidance would insult voters’ mandate
ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Friday petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for permission to meet Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, arguing that he was constitutionally and morally bound to seek the incarcerated leader’s guidance on urgent provincial matters.
Afridi’s move came a day after he was denied access to the former prime minister during a visit to the prison. Imran, who has been in custody since August 2023, is serving a sentence in the £190 million corruption case while also facing pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9 riots.
اہم خبر: وزیراعلیٰ کے پی سُہیل آفریدی کی عمران خان سے ملاقات کے لئے اسلام آباد ہائیکورٹ میں درخواست دائر کرنے ایڈووکیٹ جنرل کے پی شاہ فیصل اسلام آباد ہائیکورٹ پہنچ گئے، بائیومیٹرک تصدیق کروا لی pic.twitter.com/uH0E0PUhGE
— Ehtsham Kiani (@ehtshamkiani) October 17, 2025
Speaking to reporters after being barred from the meeting, Afridi said he had waited outside the jail for nearly two hours before departing. He said he intended to finalise his provincial cabinet after consulting Imran and had already informed both the Punjab and federal governments about his plan to visit Adiala. “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif did not respond to my call or request for facilitation,” he claimed.
According to Afridi’s writ petition, filed through counsel Syed Ali Bukhari, the chief minister stated that as head of a provincial government elected on PTI’s mandate, he was “under both legal and moral obligation” to consult Imran Khan for guidance on governance, formation of cabinet, and sensitive issues affecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The petition named the federal interior secretary, the Punjab home secretary, the inspector general of Punjab prisons, and the superintendent of Adiala Jail as respondents. It stated that on October 15, Afridi had formally approached both the Interior Ministry and the Punjab Home Department through written requests, which were “duly received” by both offices but went unanswered.
Afridi, who was elected as KP’s chief minister on Monday, said the denial of access to his party leader hindered his ability to perform constitutional duties and to take critical policy decisions concerning law and order, inter-provincial relations, and governance challenges facing the province.
Letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan
In a parallel development, Afridi also wrote to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, requesting that he direct the relevant authorities to arrange a supervised meeting with Imran Khan.
According to the letter, it was “necessary in the public interest that a periodical meeting of the KP chief minister be permitted under supervision of competent authorities” at Adiala Jail. Afridi argued that the province, home to over 45 million people, faced pressing governance and economic challenges, requiring consultation with his party’s founder.
“The seeking of direction is extremely essential, even presently the province of Punjab has stopped the inter-provincial trade, i.e. of wheat, etc.,” the letter stated, urging judicial intervention to ensure his access.
“I am the elected Chief Minister of the province and a representative of 45 million people,” Afridi wrote. “It is my constitutional and moral duty to take instructions from the Patron-in-Chief of my party, Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned in Adiala Jail.”
He added that despite repeated communications with the Interior Ministry and the Punjab Home Department, no meeting had been facilitated. “I request you to issue orders to the authorities, including the Superintendent of Adiala Jail, to arrange my meeting with Imran Khan,” the letter said.
Absence from PM’s meeting on Afghan repatriation
Afridi’s legal and political moves coincided with his absence from a high-level meeting on the repatriation of Afghan refugees, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. The session, attended by chief ministers of the three other provinces, as well as the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, senior military officials, and federal cabinet members, focused on the safe and organised return of Afghan refugees to Afghanistan.
The KP chief minister, despite being in the capital, opted not to attend the meeting. In a post on social media platform X, Afridi apologised for skipping the session, saying he could not participate without first consulting Imran Khan.
میں نے آج وفاقی حکومت کی زراعت اور افغان مہاجرین کے حوالے سے میٹنگ میں ذاتی طور پر شرکت سے اس لیے معذرت کی ہے کیونکہ خیبرپختونخوا کی عوام نے عمران خان کو ووٹ اور مینڈیٹ دیا ہے اور جب تک میں عمران خان صاحب سے مل کر پالیسی گائیڈ لائنز نہیں لیتا تو کسی ایسی میٹنگ میں شرکت صوبے کی…
— Sohail Afridi (@SohailAfridiISF) October 17, 2025
“Until I meet [Imran Khan] and receive policy guidelines, participating in such a meeting would be an insult to the mandate of the province’s people,” he said.
Afridi expressed hope that the federal government would “resolve this issue as soon as possible” and instruct relevant authorities to facilitate regular meetings with his party leader.
Observers say Afridi’s moves signal an early institutional test of relations between the PTI-led KP government and the federal coalition, especially over administrative coordination and policy consultations. His insistence on consulting Imran before engaging in intergovernmental matters also underscores PTI’s continued centrality around its jailed founder, despite legal and political constraints.
