- In letter, CM Afridi condemns obstruction of former PM’s court-mandated visitation rights
- Says he was denied access for seventh consecutive time, urging proper, safe waiting areas for family visitors
- Calls for accountability of officials obstructing or insulting peaceful visitors, including KP cabinet members
- Interim order to be issued by ECP after Afridi fails to appear at hearing on alleged threats to election officials
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has formally raised concerns with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over the alleged manhandling of PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters by police and the repeated obstruction of the former premier’s court-mandated visitation rights, in a letter shared by the PTI on social media on Friday.
The development follows a series of tense incidents outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where CM Afridi himself was denied access to meet Imran for the seventh time.
According to the letter, Afridi highlighted “serious concerns” regarding the administration of visitation rights and condemned reports of the “inappropriate and rough treatment” of Imran’s sisters, who had been detained violently during a recent attempt to see their brother. “These individuals are apolitical private citizens, seeking only to meet their brother in accordance with court permissions. Their obstruction, physical restraint, or temporary detention is wholly unacceptable,” Afridi said.
He stressed that clear judicial directives govern Imran’s visitation schedule and that authorities responsible for compliance were failing to implement these orders. Afridi urged the Punjab government to ensure a proper, safe, and dignified waiting area for authorised visitors, criticizing current practices that compel elderly family members, particularly women, to wait on roads nearly a kilometre away from the jail.
Afridi also called for the identification and accountability of individuals obstructing, insulting, or physically manhandling visitors, including Imran’s family and members of the KP cabinet. He recommended establishing a mechanism to ensure that all future visits are facilitated in an “orderly, respectful and legally compliant manner,” underlining that Imran is a former prime minister and leader of a political party represented by Afridi.
Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Afridi failed to appear before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday during the hearing regarding alleged threats to election officials. A four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) heard the matter at the ECP headquarters in Islamabad, with heightened security from Islamabad Police, Rangers, and Frontier Constabulary.
Afridi’s counsel, Ali Bukhari, and the KP Advocate General attended in his absence. The CEC confirmed that an interim order would be issued later in the day to clarify issues, including the date of the next hearing. ECP officials noted that public office holders are barred from election campaigning and from intimidating or inciting election officials, adding that Afridi had threatened officials during a rally in Havelian, alongside candidate Shehrnaz Omar Ayub.
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