CM Afridi barred from meeting Imran Khan for fourth time despite court orders

• KP chief minister vows to move contempt plea, saying ‘someone in Pakistan considers themselves above the law and the Constitution’

RAWALPINDI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was on Thursday denied a meeting with incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan for the fourth consecutive time, despite clear directives from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) allowing twice-weekly meetings.

The repeated denial has deepened the standoff between the KP government and Punjab’s prison authorities while delaying the announcement of Afridi’s long-awaited provincial cabinet.

The chief minister, speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail, said police once again prevented him from meeting Imran, even though the IHC last week ordered the Adiala Jail superintendent to enforce its March 24 decision reinstating the visitation schedule for the former premier.

“I have fulfilled every legal requirement, written to the Punjab Home Department and the federal government, and even approached the courts,” Afridi said in frustration. “But it seems someone in Pakistan considers themselves above the law and the Constitution. We are now in a quandary about what to do next.”

Afridi, who has termed consultations with Imran “essential” for finalising his new provincial cabinet, said the PTI leadership will now meet to decide the next course of action.

Flanked by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, who has been approved by the IHC as the party’s focal person to coordinate prison meeting lists, the chief minister said he would soon file a contempt petition against the Adiala jail administration for failing to comply with court orders.

In a separate video statement, Senator Aon Abbas Buppi, who accompanied Afridi, said both were among those authorised to meet Imran but were stopped by Punjab Police en route to the prison.

“What could be greater shamelessness than this?” Buppi said. “The Islamabad High Court’s chief justice orders the CM to meet his leader, and yet a jail superintendent—a Grade 17-18 officer—dares to say, ‘I do not acknowledge any court.’”

The senator said they were waiting “for someone to come to their senses and allow the meeting.”

Earlier in the day, while speaking in Peshawar, Afridi warned that if barred again from seeing Imran, he would approach the IHC to initiate contempt proceedings against the Adiala administration.

This was the fourth consecutive denial since Afridi took oath as chief minister on October 15. The day after his oath, Afridi obtained protective bail from the Peshawar High Court till November 18 and travelled to Adiala Jail, only to wait for over two hours without being allowed entry. He later filed a plea in the IHC, which issued notices to the jail’s superintendent and other officials.

On October 23, after the IHC ordered the superintendent to restore the twice-a-week meeting schedule, Afridi again went to the prison but was turned back. He faced similar treatment on October 28 and again on October 30, making it four consecutive denials despite valid court orders.

Cabinet delay and political friction

The repeated refusals have also contributed to a delay in forming the KP provincial cabinet, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition benches. Afridi said earlier on Thursday that he planned to announce a “compact, need-based cabinet” later in the day—but insiders suggest the final list is being held up pending consultation with Imran.

In a message posted on Imran Khan’s official X (formerly Twitter) account earlier this week, Imran’s sister Uzma Khanum said the PTI founder had conveyed that the chief minister had “complete authority” to form the cabinet independently.

“I direct Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi to establish a compact, need-based cabinet. The selection of ministers is entirely his prerogative, as I have proposed no names,” the post quoted Imran as saying.

Opposition lawmakers, however, have accused the PTI-led government of administrative paralysis in the province. They argue that the delay in cabinet formation has stalled key governance decisions and raised fears that prolonged political uncertainty could invite emergency-like measures in the province.

Afridi, who earlier served as a close aide to the PTI founder, maintains that the KP government is functioning smoothly and insists that consultation with Imran is vital for “unity and coherence within the party’s political strategy.”

Despite mounting political tension, Afridi reiterated his commitment to “protect the democratic mandate” and uphold the rule of law.

“No one is above the Constitution,” he said. “If lawful court orders can be ignored this easily, it undermines not just a party but the entire justice system.”